Slave of the Princess
by AnakinCaffrey
Summary: He grew up as a slave and became a Jedi. Now, Anakin finds himself forced to become a slave once again. [DISCONTINUED]
1. The Capture

**POV: Anakin Skywalker**

Why not take advantage of the universe as you grasp it between your powerful fingers? You've got all the advantage in the galaxy because of your birthright, yet you choose to yield to the weakest of beings, discovering the stronger side of them. What does this all mean, you ask? It simply means, I'm the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy and I gave myself up to a young girl. I sold myself after fighting for freedom for so long.

How?

That's a long story. It all started on my last mission, courtesy of my former Master's suggestion might I add.

I was sent to Felucia to exterminate the droid invasion. Sure, that's a normal day for a Jedi. We receive missions, we depart from Coruscant, we arrive at our destination, and we destroy and conquer. That doesn't include defending yourself against a battalion of Togrutas...

Now, I've been a Knight for almost seven months and I've been sent on the tiniest missions, the ones that hold the least amount of importance in the galaxy. I've never once failed those. It's the big missions that I apparently can't do. _This _happened to be one of those missions that I couldn't complete. Obi-Wan told me that I'd need a Padawan for multiple reasons and I'd emerged victorious in my opposition against receiving one.

Now, though, I wish I _had _asked for a Padawan. I needed someone to watch my back when I was weak. Going out alone wasn't always the best idea. I'd been jabbed with spears by a few of the locals as well as blasted several times by the droids themselves. Falling to the ground in a massive battle was a _terrible _idea that only I could make happen... Weakness leads to penalties. My own weakness resulted in being chained to a wall in a dark, cold cell on some planet _far _from Felucia.

**Twelve hours earlier.**

"Come on, men!" I cried, boosting their spirits as I rallied them together. "This battalion has conquered many as well as lost many. It's our duty to honor those of our brothers lost on the battlefield. Some of you may not come back, but, know this, a majority will return because we _will _emerge victorious. Fight with honor and valor, my friends. Do not lose hope." The men cheered and I smiled. "Onward to victory!" I cheered, pulling my saber off of my belt. My men raced through the grasslands on Felucia, dodging the large plants as well as the smaller ones. The planet in itself was a deathtrap. My comlink began to blink and I sighed. "Skywalker," I said quickly, holding my saber near my waist.

"_Anakin, you've got too many droids advancing on your side of the planet. You may not be able to hold them off for a long. We've also just received word of three battle cruisers jumping out of hyperspace above the planet. I advise you move along with caution._"

"Isn't the _Resolute _supposed to take care of orbital problems?" Again, I sighed. I knew Admiral Yularen was an admirable man. He would take care of the cruisers because he had the best strategies while on the bridge. I couldn't imagine standing beside anyone else. "I'll be careful. Thanks for the heads-up." I disconnected the com and moved along with my men. We arrived at our destination and immediately got caught in blasterfire. My men were being shot down left and right. I glanced around the battlefield quickly as I ran. I had to plan something quickly so I could lead them. Several cannons were lined up in front of the droids. They had to be taken down first. "Rex!" I shouted, turning to my left.

My trusty captain ran up to me and saluted quickly. "Yes, sir?"

"Find me some men who can blow those cannons sky high."

He glanced at the area I was pointing to and nodded. "I've got just the men for the job, sir."

"Good," I said, forcing a small smile. "Get to it, Rex." He nodded and spun around quickly, running to find the men that would complete my objective. Until then, I would slash away at the advancing commando droids. These buckets of bolts and gears wouldn't know how to take down a Jedi if they tried.

Two men with weapons set to completely decimate the Seppie cannons arrived beside me. "Ready for duty, sir."

"All right, men. The primary cannons are the center ones. Take them out first and then take out their flanks." They nodded and knelt down onto the ground, holding their weapons over their shoulders as they prepared to launch a missile. I felt something change and immediately looked up into the darkened sky. I could see lights heading directly towards us, but they weren't any of our transports. "Get down!" I shouted, throwing myself at the two to knock them down to the ground.

Shells were being dropped and were exploding as they made impact with the terrain or with my clones. "Thank you, sir," one of the men beneath me gasped.

I pushed myself up and helped them up as well. "Not a problem. I'd expect the same from you," I said, smiling weakly at them. "Stay out of trouble."

"We'll get the job done, sir!" they both said.

I ran off to go check on the men. I knew some would be wounded while others lay dead beside them. I knelt down by one man and put my hand to his covered neck and felt absolutely no pulse. I closed my eyes and bowed my head. It bothered me more than anyone else when I lost these men. I fought with them in battle and we all shared a victory round after successfully completing a mission. Every time I lost one clone, I lost a piece of myself.

I balled my hand into a fist and sighed. Eventually this war was going to end. It was just a matter of time though and I wondered how many more we'd lose? It wasn't just the clones that we were losing. Some of my closest Jedi friends had been taken from me. "General Skywalker!" I glanced up quickly and stood.

I ran over to the private. "What's going on?"

"Sir, General Kenobi has just informed us of a Togruta invasion. He says that they are not our concern and he suggests that we stay clear of them. He doesn't want any unnecessary bloodshed."

_Unnecessary bloodshed_ echoed in my thoughts over and over again before I finally came back to reality. "All right, let's move out."

"Sir –"

"We'll let the Seppies find us, Private. We can lead them further into the planet and, hopefully, meet up with General Kenobi."

"But, sir, what about the Togrutas? They're hunters. They'll find us just as easily as we could find them."

I thought for a moment. What he said was true. "Tell the men to lock their blasters. We're evacuating until further notice. We can't allow anyone to get hit accidentally in the line of fire. We're retreating to General Kenobi's position for the time being. We need to regroup, regardless of the situation."

"Yes, sir."

With that said, he took off and began to tell the men to fall back. I began to run through the field, searching for any stragglers or injured clones. I wasn't one to leave a man in need behind. "Anyone else out here?" I shouted into the darkness, not being able to see very well as it is.

I couldn't feel specific lifeforms based on distance because the entire planet was _filled _to the brim with lifeforms.

After hearing complete silence for a few moments, I took off. I figured that no one else was left and that it was time for me to get out of here before something happened to me. I put the lives of my men before myself, so I was always the last one running through the area, searching for someone alive that thought they were as good as dead. I'd pulled many men out of fatal situations by doing these runs back. I always felt a bit better about myself knowing that I'd saved another life.

**Six hours earlier.**

I groaned in aggravation. The battle was becoming too intense for my liking. My former Master was even struggling. The Togrutas had joined the battle – attacking _both _sides. I ordered my men to hold fire, but most of them stopped listening as they witnessed their brothers being slaughtered by the savages.

Obi-Wan found me holding my right side behind a boulder. "What happened?" I moved my hand and he saw the blood soaking through my vest and covering the palm of my left hand. He knelt down in front of me. "How long have you been bleeding?"

"Almost ten minutes," I gasped.

"Can you move? We need to get you on a medical transport immediately."

"I haven't tried moving."

He extended his arm towards me and I reached up to grasp his wrist. He took mine and pulled me up quickly. I shut my eyes tightly and groaned again. "Do I really need to carry you?" I sensed a blast before it happened. I pushed him out of the way and ended up getting blasted in the stomach. I doubled over and fell to my knees. "Anakin!" He sounded devastated. That was typical Obi-Wan though. "Medic! Rex!" he yelled, grabbing my shoulder.

"I'm fine," I said through my teeth. "It's not like I haven't been hit before." I forced myself to stand up. I pulled out my saber and leapt into the air, slicing through the droid in one swift motion. I wanted to fight despite the pain.

Obi-Wan dashed over to me. "You're reckless – as expected. Why can't you just accept the fact that you need a medic?"

"I'll survive, Master. Thank you for your concern."

"If I find you lying down again –"

"I won't be. I'm fine now," I lied.

He nodded and ran off to fight the oncoming threat. I sighed and began to move as well. I ended up sneaking around, watching and waiting for an opportunity to strike. The clones were able to take care of the droids with no problem. It was the Togrutas that were killing us off.

I pulled out my saber hilt and prepared as I sensed a mass of humanoids closing in on the open field. I opened a channel on my comlink, waiting for Rex to receive it. "_Captain Rex here._"

"Rex, it's Skywalker. You've got a vast invasion coming from the north end of the field. Tell the men to – agh!"

I was electrocuted from behind and my wound was jabbed at again. I dropped the com, along with my saber, and fell forward, breathing heavily. "_Sir?_" I moved to grab the com, but ended up being electrocuted once again. I threw my head back in pain as volts of electricity coursed through my body. "_Sir, what's your location?_" Rex asked hurriedly, attempting to come to my rescue.

"Southern edge of the field –" I managed to gasp before being hit again. I watched as a Togruta moved forward and crunched the com beneath his heavy boots. He grunted and reached down to grab my hair. I groaned and held my right side once again. He muttered something that I couldn't understand, but I could tell that it wasn't a very good thing by the way he looked at me.

I pulled my knees up quickly and kicked his chest, doing a back flip as he released me. I began to run, pulling my saber into my hand as I did so. I stopped and spun around, activating my azure blade. The Togrutas had disappeared. "What the –"

I heard a battle cry and looked up, only to begin deflecting blaster shots as they blasted from the tops of the plants. I backed up without looking and tripped over one of the mutated vines, falling onto my back. The saber flew out of my hand and I was too slow to retrieve it.

A heavy boot was pressed against my chest, restricting my ability to move. He bent down towards me and put binders on my wrists. I quickly attempted to use the Force to get him off of me because the pressure was becoming too much, but I only ended up hurting myself. Volts of electricity coursed through me again. So they were _Force _binders…

My entire body was filled with pain and my wound was bleeding once again. The boot was removed from my chest and I was lifted up very harshly, being pulled by my hair. I tried to get out of his grip, but I was jabbed in the back by a spear. These men had come here for something that I didn't quite understand yet, but they'd certainly been prepared.

We made it onto a small shuttle that I only assumed would take us up to one of their cruisers. The more I looked at these men, the more I realized that they were _royal _guards. I was harshly pulled onto the shuttle and I stood there, breathing heavily as they sneered at me, until we reached the main cruiser. I was once again pulled against my will and thrown into a cell. I hit the floor with a thud and dust flew into the air. I began to shake as the door closed. The place was _freezing._ It was probably _below _freezing in here.

My clothes were worn and tattered due to all the blasts and spears, so bits and pieces of my skin were exposed to the cool, durasteel floor. I lay there, curled into myself until we reached our destination and the shuttle landed. I needed a plan to get out of here. It would only be a matter of time before Obi-Wan and Rex came looking for me, so I had to hold on until then…

If they could actually find me, that is…


	2. His Master

**POV: Anakin Skywalker**

It took almost eight hours to get off of Felucia and land on… whatever planet we were on. There were several Togruta infested planets throughout the galaxy, so I had no idea which one I was actually on.

I'd been beaten for almost an hour earlier, in an attempt to '_break my will_' as the translator said to me. Yes, they felt so badly for me that they actually got me a translator… My body was covered in fresh and open wounds as well as slowly forming bruises. My chest and back had been damaged the most, but I wouldn't fall before them. I wouldn't let them see my weakness. I'd fight until my last breath.

A heavy collar was placed upon my neck and chains connected my ankles. The binders were still on my wrists and I felt vulnerable. I was stripped of my Jedi abilities by all of these pieces and there was no way I could reach into the Force and attempt to contact Obi-Wan.

Of all of the people in this galaxy, why was _I _chosen to be tormented beyond my wildest nightmares? To be honest, this was actually _worse _than my childhood. I didn't have to watch my mother suffer anymore at least. I was alone in the dark throughout most of the voyage, so I had time to collect my thoughts and attempt to ease my pain.

I was dragged out of my cell by a chain attached to the collar. I practically tripped over the chains on my ankles because they dragged slightly. I was led down several hallways, passing several beasts and creatures that I'd never seen before. We made it to a landing ramp that slowly began to fall to the terrain below. The sunlight shining down on me burned my eyes momentarily. I put my arm in front of my face and closed my eyes, cringing at the brightness. The guards chuckled and pulled me along, not caring about how their sun affected me.

I was able to lag a bit behind them, but not very much. The translator walked beside me. She kept watching me very intently and it was driving me mad. I wanted to snap on her, but I'd done that once already. Needless to say, I'd learned my lesson… "You wish to speak?" she whispered, coming closer to me. I growled lowly and her eyes widened. She looked at the guards and spoke quickly in Togruti. They stopped, allowing me a moment of rest. She came closer than she ever had before and actually _touched _me. From what I'd learned on the cruiser, I wasn't supposed to be touched because I was inferior to them… "You may speak with me, little human." She traced the scar that ran above and below my right eye slowly. "I am not your Master." Again, I growled. The guards stepped closer and pulled out their spears. I mentally prepared myself for their attack, but the translator stopped them, holding her hand out. She spoke in Togruti again before turning back to me. "Speak."

"Why me?" I managed to gasp, my voice cracking and shaking. I hated when my voice did that. It made me feel weaker than I already was…

She stroked the side of my face gently, knowing that there were bruises forming there as well. "The Queen requested a male servant. She saw you within a crystal ball and you were hunted. Once the ball finds you, you cannot escape."

I cleared my throat and closed my eyes. "So what you're saying is that I was brought here by some _ball?_"

"Yes, but it's not just any crystal ball. It knows all there is to come in the universe. Your destiny is still very uncertain. The Queen wanted to see what was in store for you, but nothing appeared. She was intrigued by your lack of future." That was such an inspirational piece of information. I apparently had no future according to this magical ball. I grimaced and felt my chest tightening. If I had no future, why did I even try to keep going? "Do not worry yourself over that. The ball has no future set for those whose future is always in motion."

"Well, then let's get on with my future. Perhaps I'll die before it even happens."

She put her hand on my neck and rubbed my jaw with her red thumb. Her lekku pressed against my chest gently and she frowned up at me. "You will not die. The Queen does not slay her servants unless they are disobedient of her wishes."

I rolled my eyes. "Let's just hurry this up. I've got nothing to lose as it is." She sighed and nodded. She muttered something and I was tugged forward, falling onto my knees. I fell directly onto the muddy trail. I pushed myself up and growled, raising my upper lip. I could feel my anger consuming me, but that would only lead to my quick death. The translator helped me stand and attempted to brush the mud away from my Jedi garments. It was a pathetic attempt, so I shrugged away from her. "Don't touch me," I said, glaring at her.

The rest of the trip was pretty intense. Well, for me, that is. The Togruti people laughed as I passed them. Some felt remorse and looked away from me, but I knew they pitied me. The last thing I wanted was to be pitied upon. I was led to a large, elegant and intricate building. I had a very bad feeling as we crossed the threshold. More Togruti guards stood inside with sharper spears and armaments.

My heart sank as I realized that I was no match for _all _of them.

The walls were golden as well as the rest of the building as we continued. Two large thrones stood atop a platform on the far end of an empty room. Two elder Togrutas sat in the seats, one a male and the other a female. Judging their appearance, I assumed they were the King and Queen of this wretched planet.

The translator came up to me and put her right hand on my back. She began to speak directly to the two above us as the guards dropped down onto their knees. Conversation boomed back and forth between the woman beside me and the couple above. The Queen stood and stepped down from her podium, her long dress dragging behind her as she stepped towards me.

I had to admit, she was beautiful for a Togruta, but my respect for her was as low as it could be. She grabbed my chin and lifted my head slightly, making me look into her eyes. She whispered something and the translator spoke. "She wants to know what you think of becoming her slave."

I clenched my teeth together and glared into the Queen's eyes. "What does it matter?" I asked through my teeth. "I have no say in the matter."

She repeated my words to the Queen and the Queen smirked. She released my chin and waved her hands to someone standing behind me. She shouted something and the guards ran. She whispered once more and the translator pushed me down onto my bruised knees. "Look at her." I reluctantly tore my gaze from the floor and slowly looked into her eyes. She said something as she stared at me. "She thinks you're a perfect fit."

"For what?"

I heard a snarl behind me and I quickly spun around, not standing up. A younger female Togruta stood in the doorway. She growled and began to speak quickly in Togruti, motioning towards me and the guards every now and then.

The Queen barked something at her and the younger one cowered, nodding slowly. She came towards me slowly and looked into my eyes. After several more minutes of conversation that I couldn't understand, I was yanked from the floor and led down a hall behind the younger female.

She looked like she was a few years younger than _me._ For both of our sakes, I hoped I wasn't going to be her _personal _servant…

We entered a large chamber and I gaped at the beauty of the room. Well, until I was attached to the wall, that is. I was able to move a bit. The guards removed the bindings on my ankles, but kept the collar and wrist binders on.

They soon exited, leaving me alone with the girl. All I could think about was getting beaten for not being able to understand the child. The translator hadn't come in here with me, so I was completely and utterly – "What's your name?" she whispered. Her voice sounded so small, yet so beautiful.

I gaped for a moment. "You speak basic?"

She nodded. "I wanted to be tutored in basic. Again, I ask, what's your name?" I growled. "I must know," she whispered. "How am I to address you?"

"_Slave._"

"I can see that it doesn't please you to say that word. May I inquire as to why?" I stared at her, glaring as I continued to bite my tongue. "If it were my choice, you wouldn't be chained to the wall."

"What?" I asked, losing my anger momentarily. I didn't expect to hear that from my new _Master._

"I believe that this is abuse, in a sense. I do not wish to abuse you. You're more of a… _bodyguard _to me than a slave. My mother thinks I can't handle myself in the real world, so you're to go with me wherever I please."

"Look, _child_, I know how this works. You're saying sweet things to me so I fall for you and sleep with you. Well, you're out of luck. I'm not doing a –"

"I will _not _abuse you."

"That's a load of –"

She put her hand over my mouth, muffling the profanities that were meant to escape my lips. "I'll free you tonight and you may sleep on the bed. I'll sleep elsewhere. I want you to be comfortable. I'm not able to take you off planet…"

"I don't need your pity, too."

She brushed my sweaty hair out of my face and smiled at me, stroking my jaw line slowly. "I don't pity you. Had my mother not seen you, I wouldn't have met you."

"You know _nothing _about me," I growled.

"I know and I want to get to know you better. I'm Ahsoka."

"Don't you have a title or am I just supposed to call you _Master?_"

"In front of others, you have to call me Master, but in the confines of my room, I'm just Ahsoka to you. I don't want to hurt you. I want to get to know you better."

I rolled my eyes and slid down the wall, resting my elbows on my knees. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall. I felt warm skin brush against my hands and I cringed. "Don't touch me."

She fell back a bit and I thought she'd hurt herself. I tried to leap forward, but the chain restricted me. She sat up and smiled weakly at me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." After seeing that she was all right, I relaxed into my original position. She came closer and crossed her legs as she sat in front of me. "I still don't know your name," she whispered, clasping her hands in her lap. "May I have the pleasure of knowing it?"

After moments of avoiding eye contact with her and attempting to refrain from revealing information to her, I gave in. "My name's Anakin…"

"Well, Anakin, I'm glad I met you," she whispered, smiling. "We could become wonderful friends."

"Grow up, child."

She stood up quickly. "I'm not a child!" she shouted. "Why does everyone call me that? I'm almost sixteen years old! That means I'll be out of this place and married! Why can that be known, yet not be important?" I stared in awe as she lost her happy composure. "Sixteen and married? Don't you think that's too young?" she asked, turning to face me.

I shrugged. "It's your planet, not mine."

She sat down in front of me and slid closer to my legs. "Are you married?"

"No. It's forbidden for me."

"Oh," she whispered. She looked away from me, but I saw the sadness building in her eyes.


	3. Emotions and Torture

**POV: Anakin Skywalker**

A whole week had passed and the Princess did everything she could to prevent my torture. I'd accidentally called her by her birth name in the presence of her parents and they almost had me beaten… Luckily, Ahsoka had saved my life and told them that I'd slipped up. I promised them that it wouldn't happen again, but that was only with them. She allowed me to call her Ahsoka.

"Anakin, wake up," her sweet voice whispered.

I slowly opened my eyes to see her smiling at me. "Good morning."

"Good morning, sleepyhead." I smiled and sat up, rattling the chains as I moved to rub my eyes. "I brought you something to eat. I wasn't sure how hungry you'd be," she said quickly. "I know you didn't eat the _food _that my parents gave you, so…"

"More like _slop_," I chuckled. "Your pets loved it."

"It's meant for them."

"I see." _That _I hadn't known.

She pushed a golden plate with appetizing foods on it towards me. I stared at it for a moment and she laughed. "Hey, I think you're drooling." I smirked and attempted to take a small bite. I didn't want to be rude, but I ended up devouring everything like a wild animal. My mind said slow down while my stomach said otherwise. That's what happens when I hardly eat for a whole week… I hadn't been eating anything _good_, so this was heaven for me. "Would you have a problem with going into town with me again?"

I wiped my mouth and swallowed quickly, shaking my head. "Not at all."

"I could try to get them off…"

I shrugged. "My bonds make you the stronger one, Ahsoka. People will think you're trying to help me escape if you ask to have them taken off of me."

"Good point," she whispered, sighing. "The second portion, I mean. I don't feel stronger when I pull you along like a dog." She scooted closer to me and gently slid one slender finger over a bruise on my neck. "You make me feel weak inside…"

"Ahsoka, we talked about this –"

She jumped onto me and held me tightly. "You're all I want and all I can't have. I'm not free from this place until I turn sixteen. I could free you and marry you and –"

"Can you listen to me for a moment?" I asked quickly, feeling bad for interrupting her. She nodded, sitting back to stare into my eyes. "Ahsoka, I'm a human. I'm also your _slave._ I know you aren't like a normal slave owner because you're so caring and compassionate, but we can't have a future. I appreciate and respect you, but…" Her tear-filled, blue eyes broke my heart. "Ahsoka, please don't cry..." She looked away from me as she stood up. "Ahsoka," I said, trying to grab her. I stupidly attempted to pull her back to me with the Force. It was stupid because the binders began to shock me.

I screamed in agony and fell to my hands and knees. "Anakin, I'm sorry," she said quickly, her hands roaming all over my body. "I didn't want you to get hurt."

I shook my head and clenched my teeth together. I tensed up as the pain continued. The shocks had stopped, but my nerves were screaming at me. A guard's boots stomped across the floor. Ahsoka quickly moved the empty plate and walked away from me. I looked up at him and growled. This guard spoke basic, so I had no problem understanding him. "Every time you scream, I want to tighten that collar."

"Every time you speak, I want to shove a knife through your –"

He kicked my face with his steel boots and I collapsed to the floor. Once again, the glove of my mechanical hand was covered in blood. "You are unjustly scathing my _slave,_ Captain. Unless you want this to go to my parents –"

Despite the authority in her voice, I could pick out the shakiness. The guard bowed. "That would displease me, milady. I apologize."

He spit directly in my face before exiting the room. Ahsoka ran to me and helped me into a sitting position. "Is your nose broken?"

"No," I muttered, my voice muffled by my hand.

She grabbed my wrist. "Let me see." I lowered my hand and she gasped. Blood was mainly streaming from my mouth. A very small amount came from my nose. I pressed my palm against my face again and watched her stare at me in horror. She ran into the refresher and came out a few moments later with a dripping cloth. She knelt down in front of me and moved my hand so she could wipe the blood away. After my face stopped bleeding, I sat against the wall with her between my legs. Her left hand was on my chest and her legs ran beneath my right one. "I want to get you out of here."

"Someday," I muttered.

"Would you run if I let you go?"

I looked into her sad eyes. "If you came with me," I said without thinking.

"Really?"

I forced a smile, attempting to cover up my blunder. "You're my Master."

"Anakin…" She saw right through me.

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Can we just go now?"

"Yes, Princess," I whispered.

She slowly separated herself from me and went to find a guard that would unchain me from the wall. She came back with a male guard. His eyes wouldn't meet mine. I stood up as Ahsoka began to speak in Togruti. He unchained me from the wall and handed Ahsoka my new chain. He shook his head at her and left without another word.

Ahsoka sighed and came closer to attach the chain to my collar. She gripped it tightly in her hand, almost as if she were really upset with not getting her way. "He said I couldn't take you out without the chain…"

"It's okay. Thank you though."

"I want you to be free, Anakin. You're such a sweet man. You were a Jedi. Don't you want to go back to that life?"

"I haven't had a moment where I didn't want to go back," I said. Once again, I'd replied with something I hadn't thought through as thoroughly as I probably should have. I quickly regained my thought process and gently took her hand. "You've been wonderful and amazing. I don't regret any of the time I've spent with you."

"Anakin, if I ordered you to do something, would you do it?"

"That… _depends._"

"You know I don't want to force you into things that you don't want to do, but…" She paused and nervously looked into my eyes. "Anakin, can you _show _me how happy you are to be here with me?"

"How?" She moved her fingers between my mechanical ones, intertwining our fingers. She slowly began to back up. I watched her sit down on her bed and understood what she wanted. "Princess, please," I begged. My heartbeat was beginning to accelerate.

"Please, Anakin. One time…"

"I'm sorry. I can't…"

She frowned. "Why?"

"Jedi are forbidden to love, Ahsoka…"

"You aren't with the Jedi and I won't tell _anyone._"

"Please, don't…"

She grabbed the straps of her beautiful, blue nightgown and slid them down her arms. "Can you at least kiss me? Surely that's not forbidden?"

"You're the only one I trust here," I said sadly. "I don't want to lose my trust in you. I can't do this…"

A small smile crept across her lips. "You've passed."

My heart skipped a beat, but still continued to pound inside of my chest. "Passed what?"

"This is why I trust _and _love you. I became vulnerable and you didn't try anything." I was _speechless._ She sat up and adjusted the straps of her nightgown. She grabbed both of my hands and pulled me closer to her. "You're not saying anything. What's wrong?"

I shook my head, clearing my angry thoughts. "Nothing, milady."

"Anakin –" I pulled away and felt nothing but anger welling up inside of me. She must have realized it. "Are you mad at _me?_"

"Anger is pointless," I growled, clenching my mechanical fingers. I was breathing through my nose slowly, not wanting to open my mouth again.

She reached around me and grabbed the chain attached to my collar. I snarled and she quickly let go. "Anakin, I-I'm s-sorry," she whispered, her voice shaking with fear. The one thing I hated the most about people was the way they used others as _playthings. _I'd trusted her and I'd even let my _heart _take me down this path. I think I overstepped myself by believing that she was any different. I belong to her and it seemed as if I was going to be stuck here forever. There was no point in remaining angry with her. I'm nothing but a slave to her… "Anakin, look at me." I decided to just do and say what she wanted from now on. I couldn't trust her with my emotions. She would think I loved her if I were happy… I looked at her and frowned. She put her hands a short distance below my shoulders. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'll never do it again." I stared at her in silence. "Say something," she whispered desperately.

"_Something._"

"Anakin, I love you." I tensed up and she felt it. "You're a wonderful, man…"

"Get dressed, Princess."

"Don't call me –"

"I apologize, _Master,_" I said, rolling my eyes at her. I no longer felt like I was on a first name basis with her. As much as I hated to say it, she _owns _me. I have no say in my life from this point on… She sighed and quickly hugged me. She buried her face into my chest and started crying. "Ahsoka, why –"

"Princess, the Queen –" I glanced up over her montrals to see an elderly Togruta staring in horror as Ahsoka cried. "Seize that _thing!_" Three guards ran into the bedroom and pushed me away from Ahsoka. I was thrown to the floor and I scrambled to get up. One of the guards stepped on the chain attached to my collar as I began to stand. My neck was jerked towards the floor and I received a swift kick to the stomach. I gasped and fell onto my hands and knees again.

"Stop! You're hurting him!" she screamed.

If my agonizing outbursts didn't clue them in on that, I thanked her for stating the obvious. A guard twisted my arms behind my back and my wrists were tightened together. I closed my eyes as a whip - an electrowhip - crashed down against my back. I clenched my teeth together and tried to remain silent. Several minutes passed and the guards finally stopped. They laughed and spit on my bleeding arms and back. One kicked me in the ribs before they all left. When I opened my eyes, they were filled with hateful tears.

My stomach churned as the smell of my own blood hit me. I gagged and couldn't move. I felt warm hands against my damaged back. I closed my eyes tightly and cried out in pain. I felt a small hand grasp my flesh one. "It's me," she whispered. The more the pain seared through me, the more damage I did to her delicate fingers... After another few minutes, she managed to untie the ropes, allowing my arms to fall away from my back. They were just as bloody and scarred... I lay there, breathing heavily, as Ahsoka repeatedly told me how sorry she was. She managed to get me up and into the refresher. She slid the glass door of the shower open. "Get in."

"Princess -"

"I said _get in._" I nodded and stepped in. She came in after me and turned the water on. I closed the door and didn't entirely care if she saw me naked. With her doing everything for me, I wouldn't stress my aching muscles. She gently removed my tattered shirt and let it fall to the shower floor. She bent down and began to remove my lower garments. I put my hands on the walls to hold myself up as she washed over my body very carefully. Every time I groaned or swore, she felt afraid. Once she washed my entire - and I mean _entire _- body, she wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed herself against me. Her drenched nightgown clung to both of our bodies. "I hate what they did to you. I didn't want that..."

"I know."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"Do you want to get out or do you want to stay here a little longer?"

"I don't know if I _can _move. I've stayed in this position the entire time..."

She rubbed my stomach with her thumbs and I shivered. "I'll get you a towel." She unwound her arms from my body and slid the door open. She stepped out and I closed my eyes. Believe it or not, my heart was _racing._ No one had _ever touched _me the way she did. She was so gentle and warm... She treated me like a fragile piece of glass. "Here you go."

I pushed myself back and straightened up quickly. I hissed very audibly and clenched my teeth together as pain surged through me. She gently took my hand and I practically snapped her knuckles. She wrapped the towel around me and smiled up at me. She helped me out and pointed to a fresh outfit for me. "How were you _not _nervous during that?"

Her lekku stripes darkened. "I've actually... seen you naked _before._"

"When?"

"Get dressed, Anakin. I still need to go into town." As much as I wanted to press the issue, I let it drop. She slowly left so I could dry and dress myself. My body screamed at me every time I moved...


	4. Revealing

**POV: Ahsoka Tano**

I dragged Anakin through town by the chain on his collar. The first time I saw him, I immediately hated my parents. They knew I was opposed to slavery, yet they went out and captured Anakin. He was taken from his _home_ to _serve _me. I never made him do very much for me because I actually wanted him to like me. My father's servants hated him because of his cruelty. He always beat them, swore at them, or made them do the hardest of tasks.

Anakin was one of the most attractive humans I'd ever seen. What I loved about him was the way I could wear revealing clothing – like I was at the moment – and trust him. He'd only been angry in the first three days because he disliked his captivity very much. I didn't think of it as captivity until he was chained to the wall by my guards… I didn't enjoy watching him lie on the cold floor at night.

On the very first night, he'd been freezing. His teeth chattered and he'd been shaking uncontrollably. I felt so bad for him, so I'd gotten up and put one of my heavier blankets on him. Of course, my father thought he took it from me, so he'd told the guards to beat him. I, on the other hand, told them that it must have fallen off of the bed during the night. I didn't want him to get hurt, so I tried my best to prevent it. I'd failed miserably to stop what had happened earlier…

In the first few days here, he'd spoken in a different language. It was something I'd only heard on Tatooine, so I assumed that he was cursing at me in Huttese. In a week, he'd eventually come to trust me. An older man came up to me and took my hand. I felt a bit of jealousy briefly escape Anakin, but he managed to control that emotion. I had no idea how I could do that, but I'd been doing it all of my life. "Milady," the man said in Togruti. "Would you please let me be your husband? I would love and honor you."

He went on spouting lies and I glanced over my shoulder. Anakin stepped closer, glancing at me cautiously. "What's he saying?"

"He wants me to marry him."

I could see him tense up a bit. "Do you want me to get rid of him?"

I smiled and lifted my free hand to stroke his jaw lightly. "Please?"

He stepped around me and punched the man directly in the face with his mechanical hand. The man growled and shouted in Togruti as he collapsed to the ground. "Punish your slave for assaulting me!"

I shrugged. "I ordered him to do it. You don't punish the obedient." I would have to teach Anakin Togruti so he could understand what was being said around him. I gently tugged on the chain and he came back to me, glaring at the man as he did so. I smiled up at him and he forced a smile back. "Thank you."

He nodded without saying another word. I led him into several shops where he helped me pick out certain things that I asked for his opinion on. He seemed to know what was best honestly. "Milady," he whispered, sounding slightly nervous. I focused on him, curious. "If I may ask, can we pause to get something to eat?" I almost didn't hear him because he was whispering. I didn't like that. He thought that if he asked me for food, I'd hurt him.

I glanced around for the time. I just realized that we'd been out for six hours. "Of course, Anakin. Let's go find a restaurant worthy of feeding you." His stomach growled and he tried to stop it. I stepped forward and placed my hands on top of his. "Don't try to hide your hunger. I don't want you to starve yourself. I may be your Master, but I'm supposed to take care of you, you know.

"Thank you," he mumbled, continuing to feel nervous.

He took my bags from me and carried them all as he walked behind me. As we began to near my favorite restaurant in town, I pulled the chain through my hand until he was right next to me. He leaned forward a bit. "Do you need something?"

"No. I just want you close to me."

"Princess…"

"I won't play with your head ever again, Anakin. I see the real you, so –"

"You haven't seen the real me," he laughed. He just realized that that was probably something he didn't want me to know. "I apologize –" he began to say quickly.

"Show me the real you," I said, interrupting him.

"Maybe another time…"

I sighed, shaking my head. "Fine."

We walked into a restaurant and I sat down in a booth. He sat on the floor beside me and I frowned. "Wouldn't you like to eat up _here?_"

He shook his head. He took the whole _slave _thing a bit _too _seriously. A waiter came over to me and glared at Anakin. "Miss, no _slaves_ are allowed," he said in Togruti, speaking with disgust on his tongue.

That was one thing I hated about talking to people with Anakin around. They always spoke about him like he was inferior to me. In reality, he was _superior _to me. "You dare speak to the _Princess _in such a way?" I asked, raising my eye markings as I turned to look at him, in turn kicking Anakin's leg.

He looked up at me and the man jumped and dropped his holopad full of orders onto Anakin's head. "Ow," he muttered, rubbing the crown of his head.

"My deepest apologies, Your Highness. Please don't –"

"I'll take two of everything. If the price is low, I _may _keep this… _incident _between the two of us."

"No price, milady. We'll have everything ready soon!" He took off into the kitchen. His shaky voice made me sigh. That was another thing I hated about being a princess. Everyone was afraid of me…

"What was that all about?"

I rubbed the back of his neck gently, touching his skin and the collar. I watched him shiver slightly. "He told me that I had to get rid of you, but he didn't know that I'm who I am."

"I could have left…"

"I don't want you to leave me."

He glanced up at me again. His blue eyes looked dull and he frowned. "Please, don't say that."

"Why can't I say nice things to you?" He looked away from me. I combed his hair with my fingers. "Do you _want _me to say horrible things to you, Anakin?"

"You're different from other slave owners."

"What do you mean?"

I felt his anger flare and the gears of his artificial hand screaming as he clenched his fingers. "I was born into slavery, Princess. You're _nothing _compared to my old Master. You're _better._"

My chest tightened. That explained quite a bit if what he was saying was true. "You… were a slave before?"

He shoulders fell and he bowed his head. "Yes," he whispered.

"No wonder you hated me so much. I understand now. You say I'm better…" I trailed off, hoping he'd answer me. "How?"

He turned a little to look up at me. "I didn't hate _you _personally. I just hate slavers, like –" I watched him tense up. "Never mind that. Anyway, your personality is just better. You're so much kinder and more… _compassionate._"

I knew he'd meant my parents. He'd indirectly told me how much he hated them and I was right there beside him. I rubbed his left shoulder gently. "You're my friend and I hope you think of me as such, too. You're the only servant I've ever let call me Ahsoka, which you prefer _not _to do. I care about you and –"

"Your food, milady. Two of everything for no charge."

"Thank you very much, kind sir," I whispered in Togruti. He still trembled, but took it upon himself to bow and spit on Anakin before walking away. As Anakin wiped the spit from his face, my anger began to boil up inside of me. I hated how everyone treated him just because he had shackles and a collar. "You are _not _some inferior to my –"

He spun and grabbed my hand, distracting me momentarily by sending butterflies to my stomach. "Princess, I grew up with _much _worse. This is nothing. I'm fine, honestly."

"Get up here and sit with me, please."

"Princess –"

"Now, Anakin." The chains rattled as he pushed himself up. I saw his arms shake a bit until he sat beside me. I stared up at his face, wishing he'd smile. "Eat."

"I'm not –" His stomach betrayed him and began to growl. He quickly attempted to cover it up by wrapping his arms around his midsection.

"You're the reason we came here, so you'd better eat." He cautiously lifted his hands onto the table and watched me. I motioned for him to continue. "I mean it. I'm not going to punish you. You asked me if we could eat and I agreed. Don't starve yourself. If you're afraid of these people, you shouldn't be. I can put so much more fear into them by looking at them. You saw what I did to the waiter." He lifted one of the foods from the tray and slowly began to nibble on it. I rolled my eyes. "Anakin."

"I'm eating," he mumbled.

"That's _not _eating."

He began to take bigger bites into the piece of meat and I could feel his happiness to be eating something that tasted wonderful. Even I knew how great it tasted. I began to eat a bit more viciously than he was, but that was in my nature. My people were animals, in a sense. Anakin's race seemed more civilized and I tried my best to be like him. My parents were savages on many occasions, especially in the way they captured Anakin.

They brought him to me in such a way that I was almost revolted. The way he looked at me in that moment made me realize that I had to help him. He'd looked so helpless, so… _damaged._ I'd only heard stories around the kingdom of his arrival and trip through the town. I hated what they'd done to him on the cruiser. He was beaten for _hours _from what I'd learned, though I wasn't sure how true that was.

"What are you thinking?" he whispered. "If I may ask…"

"Nothing," I replied, shaking my head. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm… fine?" he said, confused.

"I meant the pain."

"It's still there when I move."

I reached my left hand towards him to touch a bruise that was forming on his jaw. "I'm so sick and tired of seeing you this way. I'm sure you were gorgeous before they damaged you." He pulled away, seeming flustered. I still hated that he didn't believe my words. "Look, I know you're still not very comfortable with me, but I want to make you feel good. Is there anything I can do to welcome you further?"

He shook his head. I saw him tense up and I felt that he was thinking about something. I knew there was something that he wanted desperately aside from freedom. I would get him out of here soon. I just needed a plan and I needed to figure out how to contact his friends.

"Ahsoka," he whispered, glancing around nervously. "I don't need anything. You know it doesn't work that way anyway. You're the Princess of Shili and I'm… I'm the slave of the Princess."

"Just you wait, Anakin. Wonderful things are going to come out of this. I'm going to get you off of Shili and you'll be free again. I don't even have to go with you. I'll cover your escape and make sure that no one finds you."

For a brief moment, I felt his hopefulness, but, just as quickly as it had appeared, it _vanished. _He had no hopes of ever leaving this place alive. Well, I was going to prove him wrong.


	5. Emotional Admittance

**POV: Anakin Skywalker**

**Four months later.**

Ahsoka's knee jabbed into my stomach as she moved a bit beside me. She was still in my arms as we lay on the floor together. Tears had dried on her beautiful, orange skin. Last night had been _beyond _horrible for the both of us.

She fought verbally _and _physically with her father. She actually put up a pretty decent fight, but he blamed _me _for her actions. I'd ended up being beaten for two _hours._ She had tried desperately to stop him, but it didn't matter. He'd hurt her physically and that really upset me. He bruised her lekku and montrals to the point where it would take _weeks _to heal completely. She'd thrashed about until the guards dragged her back to her bedroom.

I didn't even want to relive the torture I'd been put through last night. I came in to find Ahsoka tied up. I was thrown against the wall and chained. I hadn't even been able to move when I'd come back last night. They untied her and she'd immediately rushed to my side, checking my new injuries that were still completely open as of this moment. It didn't help that my shirt had been stripped away. I hadn't been able to put a new one on…

As I looked at the young girl beside me, I realized that I'd honestly begun to fall for her. She's been so kind and compassionate with me and I already know that she loves me, so it's not like I'm walking into a one-sided relationship. The only thing stopping me is the Jedi. I want to go back, but I wanted to be with her so badly…

I'd officially lost all hope of ever being rescued three months ago, so I accepted the fact that I'd serve Ahsoka until she freed me. I might try to stay afterwards… if she lets me. "Anakin?" Her voice was cracked and barely above a whisper.

"I'm right here," I whispered. I gently traced over one of her undamaged lekku stripes. "Don't move too much." She put her hand on my bare back and tears began to slide down her face. "No more crying," I pleaded.

"But –"

"No." She let go of me and sat up. I sat up with her and held her head against my chest. Her face brushed up against my skin as she continued to cry. My heart sank as her shoulders rose and fell quickly and she gasped every now and then for breath. "Don't cry, beautiful."

I've called her beautiful before and she absolutely _loved _it. She _is _a beautiful little Togruta Princess, so why lie to her? She pulled back and wiped her tears away from her eyes. I gently moved her hands and finished the job for her, smiling weakly. She continued to shake and gasp slightly, so I held her until she relaxed. "I love you, Anakin," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"I love you, Ahsoka," I said without skipping a beat. I hadn't even thought about it, so we were both pretty shocked. _So much for keeping your feelings under wraps, Skywalker…_

"You do?"

"Ahsoka, I –"

"So you don't."

I took her right hand and intertwined our fingers. "I love _you._"

She smiled beautifully at me and my heart skipped a beat. We both heard footsteps coming down the hall. I let her go and she sprung up into a standing position, running over to her bed. She plopped down onto it and pulled a blanket over herself. I laid down onto the cold floor and curled into myself.

The door burst open and her father came in. He began walking towards me as she quickly sat up. "Father, don't!" she screamed in Togruti.

He grabbed my chain attached to the collar and yanked on it until I stood in front of him. I glanced over his shoulder – seeing as though I was slightly taller than him – and hoped that my eyes told her to stay put on the bed. "You think you're so superior, don't you? How long have you been spouting lies to my daughter?" he shouted in my face. I was so glad that I actually understood Togruti and was able to speak it now.

"I've done no such thing," I whispered back to him. "I only speak to her when given permission."

He slammed me against the wall. Ahsoka squeaked from the bed and I feared that she'd get hurt because of him. "Do _not _corrupt my _jewel._ If you thought last night was such torture, just you wait until the next time she speaks out."

I nodded. I didn't fear him. I didn't fear him at all. I was only concerned about what he'd do to _Ahsoka._ He threw me to the floor and exited without saying a word to her. She ran to me as I began to rub my neck.

"How badly did he hurt you?"

My neck had been jerked around and hurt a bit, but I didn't want her to worry. "I'm fine, beautiful."

"Let me see if I can get us out of here for the day."

"Less chance of being killed that way," I said, meaning for it to sound like I was teasing her. The look on her face told me that she thought I was serious. "Not that we're going to die…"

**Later.**

"How can you wear these? They're so cold…"

She was lying on my chest with my arms wrapped around her waist. She took me to a meadow deep within a forested area. My chains must have been pretty cool against her bare back. "I'm forced to keep them on. I've gotten used to them, so they don't bother me." I rubbed her sides slowly, smiling up at her.

She closed her eyes and laid her head down on my chest. Her montrals were beside my face, but she was careful not to hit me with them for both our sakes. "You can't live like this forever, Anakin."

"I will if it means I can spend more time with you."

"But what about my father? He's trying to find suitors for me already…"

"You have the final say, correct?"

"Yes, but he won't let me marry you."

"We have two months before your birthday. That's enough time."

"Sure, if you can create a child within me before then."

I tensed up. "You mean if I get you pregnant, I can marry you?"

"It's possible. There's only one way to find out."

"Slow down," I said, laughing.

"You're right. I don't want to push you. You _just _told me that you love me."

I stroked the side of her face, rubbing her cheek with my thumb. "Someday, perhaps. You know… when you're older…"

She smiled and rubbed my sides. "Sixteen is legal here. You live on… Coruscant, right?"

"I _lived _on Coruscant."

"You'll go back. I promise. What's the legal age there?"

"Eighteen, I believe."

"So in two years, I'll be legal for you?"

"That's right."

"Well, what if I told you I could get you out of here? Would you still want to leave?"

My chest tightened. As much as I wanted to leave, I wanted her to come with me. "What about you?"

She smiled sadly. "My fate is in your hands, my love."

I sat up and she moved to wrap her legs around my waist. I put my hands on her lower back. "Would you go with me?"

"There's nothing here for me, but there's a whole galaxy waiting for me. I want to roam the galaxy with you, Anakin."

"I'd take you _anywhere._ I'm going to leave the Jedi Order for you and we –"

"Anakin, no," she whispered, holding my sides tightly. "I _can't _let you do that. You've wanted to go back to the Jedi since you were brought here. I can't just let you give it up."

"You know that attachment is forbidden for me. Unless I leave, we can't be together. I _want _you."

"Take me," she whispered, staring into my eyes.

"That's not what I meant, Ahsoka."

"You know you want to."

How could she possibly know what I wanted? She wasn't Force-sensitive. I've wanted her in _that _sense for a while because of her unique personality. She was extremely attractive as well. _Bonus._ "Not right now."

"Hey, you're still my slave, so –"

"My respect for you will diminish in moments if you force me into this," I said angrily.

She kissed my cheek. "I'd force you if I didn't love you. I love you, so I was just kidding."

I smirked and moved to lie on top of her. She giggled beneath me and made me smile wider. "Have you ever kissed anyone?"

"No. Have you?"

"Once or twice in the past. Do you want to learn?"

"From you? Of course!"

My smile just wouldn't fade with her. "All right," I said nervously. "Lay still and close your eyes."

"Can I touch you?"

"Yes," I said, laughing a bit. She moved her hands to my shoulders and smiled before closing her eyes. I slowly closed my eyes and leaned my head towards her. I pressed my lips against her warm, gray ones. I could feel her smile and her fingers moving to intertwine with my hair. I began to move my lips slowly with hers until I felt like my control was going to slip. We parted for breath and she smiled as she breathed heavily. Her eyes wouldn't leave mine. I gently lowered myself to press our bodies against each others. I put my arms against her sides and smiled at her. "You're so beautiful," I whispered. "And not just on the outside."

She giggled and smiled wider. "Thank you." Her hands rubbed my sides slowly as we continued to smile at each other. "Anakin, I've been waiting for you to fall in love with me. I've loved you since we met. I know your stay hasn't been pleasant, but I want to make the rest of your life… _pleasurable._"

My heart began to race in my chest. I lowered my lips to hers again. "Ahsoka, my life will be perfect as long as you're in it." I rolled off of her and laid beside her, staring at her face. She glanced to her right and smiled. My chain was still over her stomach, but it didn't seem to bother her now. She took my flesh hand and held it tightly.

Her eyes slowly closed and I couldn't help but stare in awe at her. I'd been stupid to deny my love for her for this long. I'd had one relationship prior to meeting her and that hadn't ended well, so I was afraid of falling in love again. Ahsoka was different. She might be a Princess, but she doesn't act like it. Well, unless she wants something, then she's Princess Ahsoka. She's my Master, but she treats me like her friend. She's never once hit me or beat me.

Her father believes that I'm her weakness. I don't think that's entirely true. She's too kindhearted to hurt anyone. I couldn't see her acting as a Sith, just for comparison. She's too light to be a Jedi. For a moment, I actually believed she was an angel. What if she was? No one has ever captured my heart this quickly. She wasn't happy with living the life of a Princess, so escaping from Shili would help us both. I just didn't want her to get into trouble for freeing me. Her father… He scared me when it came to Ahsoka.

The way she cried as he hit her had really, _really _angered me. If I hadn't had Force binders on, I surely would have killed him on the spot. I never wanted to see her cry like that again… "Why are you so quiet?" she whispered, opening her eyes a bit.

"I'm just thinking about you."

"Good or bad?"

I smiled. "Well, good for the most part. I want to live my life with you and protect you as best I can, Ahsoka."

She scooted closer to me and I held her against my side. "I'll protect you, too."


	6. The Escape

**POV: Ahsoka Tano**

The meadow was a lot of fun. He tangled me up in his chains playfully so I'd be right up against him. The rest of the time consisted of him holding me tightly. When he held me, I felt so warm and secure. I've never felt so loved in my life… Now we were sitting in the dining hall for dinner. Anakin was passing dishes and utensils out. He gave me a small smile and rubbed my shoulder as he passed me. He sat beside me on the floor afterwards. I would drop bits and pieces down into his lap for him when my father wasn't looking.

He and my mother were eyeing each other in a very _sick _way. It wasn't loving like the way Anakin looked at me. "Ahsoka," my father began. "We have chosen a handful of suitors for you. They're all very eager to meet you."

I flexed my fingers beneath the table and Anakin slid his hand into mine, holding it lightly. "I'm just as eager to meet them."

"They are the _best _warriors of Shili."

I forced a smile and nodded. Anakin looked up at me in concern. I looked down at him and frowned. He mouthed, "Are you okay?" so my parents wouldn't hear him. I shook my head slowly and he squeezed my fingers a bit.

"Ahsoka, what's wrong?" my mother whispered.

"Nothing, mother. May I be excused?"

"Certainly, dearest."

"Thank you," I whispered. "Come along, _slave._" He let go of my hand as I stood. I gently tugged on his chain. His neck was still pretty sore, so I tried to be as careful as I could be. He stood and trailed behind me. I felt his curiosity, but I wanted him to wait. I led him into the refresher and locked it. I smiled up at him and he smiled back. He lifted me onto the sink and began to kiss my neck slowly. I lifted my head and closed my eyes, smiling. He slid his tongue over my skin and I jumped a little due to my excitement. "Anakin, I love you."

"I love you," he whispered.

"Take me, please."

He pulled back and I opened my eyes to stare into his now sad ones. "Don't make me think about that right now. Things would get too complicated…"

"I want you."

He stared into my eyes. "Ahsoka –"

"If you're my first, I am _forever _bound to you. I would be your _slave._"

"Do you want _me _to be your first?"

"Yes."

"Then, _please_, wait," he pleaded, taking my hands in his. "We've only just begun this relationship. I don't want to rush into it too quickly. Savor the good moments and look forward to the better ones."

I could see that he meant his words. For him, I could slow down. If we were going to have a successful relationship, we'd have to wait for each other. "I'll wait."

His cool hand stroked my cheek as he smiled. "Thank you," he whispered. I smiled and he leaned down towards my face slowly. I closed my eyes and tilted my face towards his. His warm lips pressed against mine and sparks flew once again like they had in the meadow. He took everything slowly and I savored it. We parted for breath almost a minute later and he held me against his chest. I could feel his heart pounding, so I only assumed that he could feel minute. We _both _knew that we had to go back to the dining hall, but neither of us wanted to go. If my friend got back to me, I could have Anakin out of here by tonight. We separated and he gave me a very loving look. "I love you, Princess."

"I love you, Jedi," I whispered, laughing lightly.

He sighed and shook his head, but the smile remained. "_That _life is over."

I rolled my eyes and reached up to grab his chain. I pulled his face towards mine and took control of the kiss. I felt his excitement and he completely enjoyed my power. I giggled as I released him. "Okay. Come on, love."

Again, he trailed behind me as I led him. I heard my parents arguing and I paused. I heard my name going back and forth between the two of them.

"Ahsoka shouldn't be _deprived._ I bet the slave already knows about it. We've kept this from her for almost sixteen years, Kaelim."

I looked back at Anakin and he looked confused. Obviously, he didn't know what they were talking about. "Ahsoka _cannot _leave, Asharle. She will rule after we've passed on!"

"With a man she _barely _knows!"

"It worked for _us!_"

"We're _failing!_" she shouted.

"I don't understand the last part," Anakin whispered, glancing at my shocked face.

I let go of the chain and ran into the hall. I screamed, "What's wrong with you both?"

Anakin came up behind me and I felt his concern. His presence relaxed me, but only slightly. "Baby –" my mother began.

"Don't _lie _to me!"

"Go to your room, Ahsoka."

"No! I want to –"

He began to scream intense profanities at me and I screamed back as he stood and came towards me. His anger scared me. My own anger _terrified _me. His hand raised and I flinched away. Before I realized it, Anakin lashed out just as the hand was about to swing. More profanities – in both Togruti _and _basic – escaped Anakin's lips. Anakin hit my father and threw him to the floor.

My mother screamed for guards. I panicked, knowing how much pain he'd suffer for his and _my _actions. I quickly grabbed his hand and we _ran._ He didn't have binders on his wrists, but the collar still restricted his Force abilities. We ran through the halls like nothing else mattered but our escape. I pulled a comlink out of my small satchel across my body. I began to speak quickly, hoping he'd catch part of what I was about to say. "Liente, I need you _now._"

"_Ahsoka, I knew you'd get into trouble. The guys and I –_"

"Just get over here! We need to leave now!"

"_Did your lover boy get you into trouble? I'll beat the living daylights –_"

"I'll explain later!"

I switched off the com and Anakin pulled me around a corner. He slammed me into his chest and put his arms around me tightly. He closed his eyes as heavy footsteps approached our position. I rested my head and hands on his chest. We were both breathing heavily as the guards ran past us. He sighed in relief and pulled me deeper into the darkened hall. "So who's this Liente?"

"He's no one for you to worry about, love. He's just an old friend." He cocked an eyebrow and looked skeptical. "I have no past that I'm not afraid of sharing with you. Liente and I were close once, but we never fell in love."

"I see."

"It was one-sided. He loved me and I didn't return his feelings."

"Does he still –?"

"He knows I'm in love with you. He called you my lover boy."

He chuckled. "Really?"

"Yes."

We got to the point where we couldn't see each other anymore. I threw my arm out and tried to find him. After moments of having no success, I gasped. His hand quickly found mine and tightly gripped my fingers. "I've got you."

He lifted his chain as it began to drag a bit. "I don't want them to hurt you."

"I'm more worried about _your _consequences. How long will it take before your friend gets here?"

Once again, I felt his jealousy at the mention of another male. "It'll probably take him five more minutes. He'll contact me when he gets here." He slowly began to lower himself to the floor. I sat between his legs with my legs running beneath his right one. I leaned my head against his chest and rested my hand on his waist. His thumb gently stroked my rear lek. Five minutes of comfortable silence passed. The button on my comlink began to flash a neon green color. Anakin jumped a bit, but relaxed once he realized that it was just the com. "Relax, Anakin."

"Hey, it got too quiet."

I turned the com on. "It's me," I whispered.

"_I'm outside, Ahsoka. Bring your boyfriend and let's get out of here._"

Again, Anakin could only understand bits and pieces of the sentence. "We're on our way."

I shut the com off and we quickly stood up. "So how old is this friend?"

"It's not that big of a deal, Anakin," I whispered as we began to walk down the hall towards the light at the end.

"Ahsoka."

"Twenty-six."

"I hope you realize that he's five years older than _me._"

"He's eleven years older than me. He's kind of a…" I paused to look up at him once there was enough light on his face. "He's kind of a _creep._"

"How so?"

"When I was twelve, he decided to get a little… _touchy feely _with me…"

"If he tries that, I swear to the Force –"

"I'd let you hurt him if he touched me like that." We made it outside without being caught. Liente lowered the ramp and we boarded the small ship. A young woman met us in the back and smiled at me. She looked strangely familiar, but I had no idea who she was.

"Hi, Princess Ahsoka. I'm Jalara. I'm Li's little sister."

We quickly hugged once I remembered who she was. She was one of my playmates as a child, but that was before she became bad company. She had many addictions to substances I'd never want to try in my lifetime. "Hey, Jay-Jay."

She smiled at me for a moment before checking Anakin out. She whistled and raised her left eyebrow. "Who's this gorgeous hunk?" she whispered in Togruti.

Anakin gave me a confused look and I shook my head. "This is Anakin."

"Ah, Li told me a little about him. It's not like he knew too much though. He forgot to mention how attractive –"

"He's _my_ mate," I growled.

She lifted her hands and backed off. "I know, Ahsoka. I wouldn't do that to you anyway." She glanced between the two of us quickly. Anakin had no idea what I was saying because I'd left a few words out of his lessons. "I'll… go tell Li that you're both okay."

I nodded and she walked back into the cockpit. "What was that?" Anakin asked.

"Nothing."

"I'm going to start speaking in Huttese unless –"

"She's attracted to you," I said quickly. "I got a little jealous and told her that you're my mate…"

He smirked. "So it's our first official day together and I'm already your mate?"

I frowned and bit my lip. He dropped his chains to the floor and pulled my face closer to his, quickly kissing me. Everything except for me and Anakin faded. To be honest, I was completely lost in the moment.

Liente knew when to wreck a perfect moment. He cleared his throat and Anakin backed away from me slightly. He still stayed pretty close, but he was ready to spring if needed. "Hello, beautiful," Liente whispered, thinking Anakin couldn't understand that.

Sadly, he did. He growled beside me and Liente's eyes widened. Li chose to speak in basic. "So how's it going, slave? Is Soka treating you well?"

"I am _not _–"

"He's not my slave anymore, Liente. Now that we're away from my parents, he's free."

"Sure, sure. Just wait until we get to Coruscant. We'll see if he really loves you," he whispered quickly in Togruti. He spun around and went back into the cockpit. His words really depressed me. I knew Anakin wouldn't do that to me. At least I _hoped _he wouldn't leave me once we reached Coruscant. I'd come this far and now I had nothing left to go back to. If I lost him, I had nothing.


	7. Surprises on Coruscant

**POV: Anakin Skywalker**

Ahsoka was asleep against my chest. She didn't seem as happy as she had been while we were on Shili. I still couldn't feel her emotions, but I would be able to once we arrived on Coruscant. Jalara came into the back and smiled sadly at me. "My mother used to serve her parents. You look ten times worse…"

"Thanks," I muttered.

"How many times did they beat you?"

I tried to think back to the few times I'd actually counted. "I lost count…"

She frowned. "I'm glad Ahsoka got you out of there. What's waiting for you on Coruscant?"

"My old life."

Ahsoka's head moved slightly and she sighed. I wrapped my arms around her tighter and rested my forehead against her montrals. "So you _really _love her?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She's beautiful on the inside _and _on the outside. She's done so much for me and I don't think I'll ever be able to repay her. She's the girl of my dreams. I thought Shili would be like spending a day on Mustafar, but she made everyday _better._"

I watched the girl smile at me and then at Ahsoka. "You're so grateful to her. You appreciate females more than _any _male Togruta. I see why she loves you."

After a few more minutes of chatting, she went back to her brother. He called back and said that we'd arrive in less than two hours. I sighed and glanced down at my beautiful Princess. I figured that I could get enough sleep in two hours, so I closed my eyes and dreamt about the small girl in my arms.

**Two hours later.**

"Hey, _slave,_ wake up." I jumped when Ahsoka's montrals poked my neck.

"Ouch," I whispered, rubbing my neck.

"Anakin, I'm so sorry!"

"You're fine," I said, chuckling.

I stood us both up and we stretched. "We're here," Liente muttered as he walked back into the cockpit. He was five years older than me, but I was taller. I figured that I'd have more advantage over him considering the fact that he didn't look too athletic.

I smiled at Ahsoka and extended my flesh hand towards her. She hesitated to take it. "Hey, you came all this way to be with me. You are _not _leaving me so easily," I teased. Her face lit up and her eyes sparkled as she smiled. She took my hand and I led her off of the ship. We were _right _outside of the temple. She gaped at it before I pulled her along with me. I'd planned out a resignation speech on our voyage, so I was prepared to leave the Order. We didn't pass very many Jedi, but I did find the one I was looking for. His back was arched and he was holding onto a railing with his head bowed over it. "Take a load off, old man," I teased weakly.

He spun around quickly and ran to me. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and whispered, "I thought you were dead."

"I will be – if you don't let go," I gasped. He had managed to envelop the most severe injuries and put the most pressure on them.

He pulled back and frowned. "I'm sorry. What happened to you?" he asked, looking me up and down. He glanced at the collar around my neck and at the chain leading down from a small ring on it. "What's _this?_"

"I got myself into a bit of a… _situation._ Can you get it off of me?" He pulled out his saber and carefully sliced it off of my neck. A wave of emotions and Force signatures hit me. The strongest signature came from a figure behind me. As it turned out, _Ahsoka _was hiding behind me. I slowly turned around and spoke in Togruti. "Don't be afraid." She was completely and utterly afraid. I took her hand and smiled warmly. "Ahsoka, this is Obi-Wan."

"Hello, little one. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello," she whispered.

"Anakin, may I speak with you in private?"

I nodded and glanced at Ahsoka, her eyes pleading for me not to leave her. "Stay here, please."

She let go of me and Obi-Wan led me across the hall. "You look terrible."

"I know."

"What happened to you?"

"It'll be in my report later. Master, she's Force-sensitive. How was she _undetected _for so long?"

"What planet is she from?"

"Shili. She's the heir to the throne."

"You kidnapped the heir to the throne?" he exclaimed.

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a very serious look. "It's not kidnapping if she's completely willing. Anyway, Obi-Wan, I had _no _idea that she had Force abilities. I don't even think _she _knows."

"You know her best," he sighed. "Perhaps…" he trailed off. "Would you be willing to train her?"

Suddenly all of my thoughts of resigning vanished. If she became my Padawan, we'd be together all the time. "More than willing," I said with a smile. "Do you think the Council will allow it though?"

"Anakin, her signature is _almost _as strong as yours. I think they'll allow her to join the Order."

"Let me talk to her first. I don't want her to be surprised if it comes up during the Council meeting." He nodded and I slowly walked back over to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Scared," she whispered, staring directly into my eyes.

"Don't be. No one here will hurt you. I've got something to ask you." She looked at me expectantly and I continued. "What would you think if I said that you were eligible to become a Jedi?"

Her eyes widened and a large smile spread across her lips. "Really?"

"Really."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck. "That would be amazing!"

I smiled and hugged her back. "We've got to talk to the Council. First, I need a shower…"

I glanced at Obi-Wan. He came closer to us. "Well?"

"She's willing. I need a shower. Can you take –?"

"I want to stay with you," she whispered.

"Okay," I said slowly. "Obi-Wan, we'll be there in half an hour." He nodded and I led Ahsoka to my dorm. "Do you need a shower, too?"

I almost hit myself for asking something so stupid, but I was shocked by her reply. "Sure."

I stripped down as I walked into the refresher. I figured, she'd seen me exposed, so what was the point in being modest? I felt her nervousness and almost thought she wouldn't come in. I hadn't seen _her _exposed before, so I understood.

I turned the water on and quickly began to wash myself. The glass door slid open and she stepped in behind me. She wrapped her arms around me as she pressed her warm body against mine. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you."

"Do you want me to become a Jedi?"

"Yes. The temple could be your new home. You could be with me. You'd be free from your parents. Obi-Wan is going to see if you can become _my _apprentice."

"So… essentially, you would be _my _Master?"

"I prefer to look at it as I'll be your mentor in regards to teaching you about the Force."

She giggled and pressed her warm lips against my scarred back. "Well, Master, I hope you treat me kindly."

"Of course," I whispered, glancing over my shoulder.

We quickly washed each other. Afterwards, we stepped out and grabbed a towel for ourselves. "Our love will be a secret," I whispered, glancing over at her as she dried herself. I tried to speak clearly as I realized her body was _more _beautiful that I'd imagined. "Is that something you can handle?"

"For you, yes." I followed the white markings that curved on her shoulders, thighs, and hips. They all curved towards _one _specific area of her body, but they were beautiful nonetheless. She caught my staring eyes. "Does my body displease you?" she whispered, sounding sad and hurt.

I cleared my throat and looked up at her eyes. "Quite the opposite actually, Ahsoka…"

I pressed my hand down over my lower half and she smiled. "Really?"

"Absolutely."

Her lekku stripes darkened. I smiled and felt heat forming on my own face. I ran my hand through my soaked hair. "Well, I don't think I have anything that'll _fit _you."

She shrugged. "I'll just throw something on."

"By all means."

She smiled as she passed me. I watched her walk out and then took the time to look in the sink mirror. My jaw dropped when I saw how _bad _I looked. My right cheek was bruised along the cheekbone. My neck, collarbone, shoulders, arms… Let's just assume that I was _full _of bruises from head to toe.

My arms were scarred because they had always been tied _behind _me and my back was _always _slashed at. "Are you okay?"

I jumped and turned to look at her. "I didn't think I looked _this _bad. How can you even look at me?"

"Appearance is nothing but a shield that hides the soul's true beauty. Besides," she shrugged. "They'll heal in time. I love you for you, bruises or not."

I felt a little flustered. She was the only one to think that. Women came up to me on the streets of Coruscant and would want me because of my looks. That's not the kind of person I wanted to spend my life with. I glanced away from her nervously and rubbed the back of my neck. "Let me get dressed really quick."

I passed her and went over to my dresser. I pulled out a gray shirt and loose black pants, along with an undershirt and underwear. I slipped everything on without further injuring myself.

"Is this what you normally wear?"

"No. I just don't feel like putting my armor on. If they make me do _anything,_ I may have to kill them."

She laughed. "It's not the Jedi way to slaughter innocents."

"I know, but I'll kill anyone who denies me at least two days off." She smiled and came closer to me. I leaned down towards her and gently kissed her lips. My flesh hand held her right one. A knock on the door made us both jump. "Come in," I called out, separating myself from her.

Obi-Wan walked in and glanced at her. "I'll have Master Ti go on a shopping spree for you, little one. You're free to join her if you'd like." He looked at me. "Anakin, the Council awaits your presence."

"Thanks." He nodded and I felt her fear. "Hey, you have no reason to be afraid. I'll be right there with you. If they sense your fear or your attachment to me, they'll try to deny you the chance you deserve. You'll be fine, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, not sounding very convinced. I'd been just as afraid as she was when I'd first met the Council.

"Just breathe. If you don't do that, you'll pass out," I teased. She rolled her eyes at me and sighed. I kissed her cheek before leading her out of the dorm. We silently walked side by side to the Council chambers. I heard her breathing beginning to quicken and I took her hand. "Relax, love." We were a short distance away from the chambers. "Nothing they say or do should intimidate you. You're a strong girl. Let them see the strong side of you, okay? Remember, I've been through this, too. I know what I'm talking about. If you relax, everything will be all right."

"Thank you, Anakin. I really appreciate this, but what if they found out that I love you? What will they do?"

"Well, if they find out, they'll kick you out of the Order. I'll tell them that I reciprocate your feelings and I'll leave with you. I'll go _anywhere _with you. Just act calm and listen to their words. They'll ask you some questions and give you a test. It's pretty basic stuff." She nodded slowly and I smiled down at her. "Ready?"

"I guess so."

We walked for a few moments and then I pushed the chamber doors aside.


	8. Meetings

**POV: Anakin Skywalker**

We entered to see a good number of Masters present in the chambers. We walked into the center of the room and stopped. I bowed respectively like I always did. Once I stood, a few Masters began to gape, gasp, or stare at me in horror as if I'd come back from the dead. That's what they all probably assumed anyway. "Good to see you alive, it is, young Skywalker."

"Thank you, Master Yoda."

Obi-Wan smiled warmly at Ahsoka. "Give your report first, Skywalker," Windu said.

I took a deep breath and nodded. I spoke slowly so I wouldn't sound like I was rushing the report. "Almost five months ago, my and Master Kenobi's battalion were sent to Felucia to stop the oncoming droid invasion. A good number of our men were lost. Admiral Yularen informed us of incoming Togruta cruisers entering orbit around the planet. The duration of the battle consisted of droids and clones being slaughtered by the enemy as well as the Togrutas." I could feel Ahsoka's pain as she stepped closer to me. I hadn't told her any of this before, so she was just hearing it for the first time as well. _This _was the brutal _reality._ "I was injured several times by blaster bolts as well as Togruta weapons. Master Kenobi insisted that I board a medical transport, but I continued on with the mission. I was disarmed, beaten, and bound a short time later by Togruta warriors. I was tortured during an eight hour transport and we arrived on Shili. There, I served the royal family."

I felt disgust around me and pointed accusations in Ahsoka's direction. She latched onto my arm and I glanced down at her briefly. She must have sensed it, too. "How did you escape your captivity?"

"I escaped with the help of Princess Ahsoka," I said, motioning towards her with my left hand. "She planned everything ahead of time and we fled the planet on her friend's ship."

"Why would she help _you?_ You served her, correct?"

"Correct. Ahsoka's parents are slavers. She's not too fond of the way I was captured or the… _consequences _I suffered. She took pity on me and helped me out."

"I see." His attention focused on her. Windu could scare _anyone _away. "And you believe _she _is capable of becoming a Jedi?"

"Yes," I said, authority in my voice.

The rest of the meeting consisted of Ahsoka being tested the way I had been when I was nine. She passed with _ease._ The Council made us wait an hour before finally assigning her to me. She received a Padawan braid in the form of Silka beads from Master Ti as well as some decent, yet revealing clothing. Master Ti said it would help Ahsoka's flexibility in combat. I didn't turn down the chance to see Ahsoka's body again.

"Skywalker, I would recommend a session or two with Master Unduli," Windu whispered once Ahsoka was distracted.

I nodded and walked back over to Ahsoka. She and I left the chambers. We traveled back to _our _dorm and entered. She immediately collapsed onto my bed and I smiled. I took her new clothes to my dresser, setting them down on top. "Tired, Princess?"

She nodded silently. I slid the blanket out from under her legs and pulled it over her small body. "Get some sleep, beautiful."

She opened her eyes and grabbed my hand. "Sleep with me." I felt my heart tighten. She must have realized the tension I felt right now. "Just _sleep._"

I smiled and nodded as she scooted over and made room for me beside her. I lay down beside her and she cuddled up against me. She looked _and _felt happier. "I love you, Ahsoka," I whispered, kissing her forehead.

"I love you, too." I watched her sleep and smiled wider. I could still be a Jedi and be _with _her. Her face nuzzled into the crook of my neck and I closed my eyes. There was a bit of pain as her body put pressure on my bruises, but she was _worth _the pain. I would _never _push her away.

**The next morning.**

"Anakin, wake up."

I felt a small hand pushing my shoulders. I groaned and opened my eyes slowly. "What's wrong?"

"I feel sick," she whispered. I sat up quickly as she hopped over my body. She ran into the refresher and I flipped over, falling onto the floor. I was still tangled up in the blanket.

I quickly untangled myself and ran in after her. She was leaning over the toilet, holding her head in her hands as she gagged. I collapsed onto my knees beside her and rubbed her back. "I'm here, Ahsoka. Just breathe slowly, okay?" She tried to nod and ended up spilling all of the contents of her stomach into the round bowl. Once she had finished, she leaned backwards. I caught her and held her between my legs. "How do you feel now?"

"Empty," she whispered. She started coughing and I thought she was going to vomit again, but she seemed all right after a few moments. "Ugh," she groaned.

I helped her stand up a few minutes later. She just realized that she'd gotten a bit of stuff on her clothes. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

I kissed her cheek. "Hey, I don't care about the clothes. I just want to make sure you're okay."

She sighed and frowned. "You can just toss them down the garbage chute, Ahsoka. They're pretty old as it is."

"I've been meaning to ask you about the temple. Do you have healers here?"

She was looking at all of the bruises and marks on my neck and I sighed. "Yeah," I whispered. "It's pretty early, but I think Luminara is up. Do you want to come with me?" She nodded. "Okay, go change and we can leave." She began to take the shirt off as she walked back into the living area. Her tiny waist curved perfectly and I just _loved _the color of her skin. "It should be illegal to look that good," I teased, leaning against the doorframe. She laughed and tossed the shirt down the garbage chute. She waited for me to come out of the refresher. I could feel her need for me, so I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her lek. "You're beautiful."

"So I've heard," she whispered, smiling up at me.

I closed my eyes and continued to kiss her left lek. She held my hands on her waist. I rubbed over her warm skin with my thumb. A knock on the door made her jump. I let go of her and pulled a drawer from my dresser into my hands. She quickly took a shirt out and slipped it over her body. Once she was dressed, she walked with me to the door.

I hit the panel, unlocking the door, which allowed it to open. "Hello, Anakin."

"Good morning, Master Unduli."

"I allowed you time to rest, but I wanted to let you know how wonderful it is to see you alive. Obi-Wan was heartbroken without you."

I smiled. "Thank you. I wasn't surprised that he missed me. He's like my brother."

"And now you've got a little sister," she whispered.

I felt sick, but nodded. "That's right."

"I'm heading out to settle a quarrel on Saleucami. My Padawan is willing to give you a healing session. I've taught her everything I know."

"I appreciate it. I'll go see her. Good luck, also."

She gently placed her hand on my shoulder. "Take care of yourself."

"That's what my Padawan is here for," I teased, throwing my arm over Ahsoka's shoulders.

Luminara smiled at her. "My apologies. Greetings, little one. I am Luminara. I'm the Master Healer of the temple. Congratulations on your promotion. You're bound to learn a lot from your Master."

"I'm Ahsoka," she whispered. "Thank you very much."

"Take care, you two." She glanced at me with a very serious look. "Go see Barriss in the healing chamber."

"I will."

We said our good-byes and she left. "To Barriss then?"

"To Barriss."

I led her to the healing chamber. She felt very uncomfortable until I took her hand. We entered to see Barriss meditating. I motioned for Ahsoka to stay put and keep silent. I silently moved to sit in front of Barriss, mirroring her meditation position. "Hello, Anakin," she said without opening her eyes.

"Barriss."

"Your wounds run deep and are _very _damaging. It may take a few more minutes to complete the entire process."

"Take your time."

She opened her eyes and stared into mine. "Would your apprentice like to watch?"

I glanced over my shoulder at Ahsoka and she came closer to me. She sat cross legged beside me. Barriss took my hands and we closed our eyes simultaneously. She began to whisper healing chants and, slowly, I began to feel better. The entire process took fifteen minutes. My wounds had sealed into scars and the bruises were beginning to fade now. "Thank you."

"Anytime, _Master_ Skywalker." Barriss had been… _attached _to me while we were Padawans. She'd lost track of her path because I'd rejected her – kindly – and fell behind while I advanced. Anyone would think she'd gotten over her crush on me, but I knew she hadn't by the way she looked at me. The three of us stood. "Are you doing anything tonight, Master?"

"I'm… going to show Ahsoka around the temple and attempt to help her create a lightsaber."

"I see. Perhaps another time then."

"Perhaps," I whispered. I felt jealously seeping out of both girls beside me. "Catch you later, Barriss," I said quickly.

She nodded and Ahsoka and I took our leave. As soon as we got into the hallway, Ahsoka grabbed my hand. "Is there a history with her?"

"Not on my part. She _likes _me. I kind of… _rejected _her."

"Oh? Why?"

"She's just not my type."

She smirked. "What _is _Master Skywalker's type?"

"Funny, cute, full of authority…" I smiled and leaned towards her, kissing her cheek. "Anyone like _you _is my type."

She giggled and tightened her grip on my hand. "I'm unique."

"No doubt about that. You're too amazing to be like anyone else." She smiled. "You hungry?"

"Oh, I'm _starved,_" she teased, rolling her eyes.

"Time to meet my boys."

"_Your _boys?" I tugged her along behind me and we turned several corners until we reached the mess hall. The clones usually sat with their closest friends. Normally, Rex would join me, but I'd become too antisocial for him. He now sat with Fives, Dogma, and Cody most of the time.

Rex glanced over at me and gaped for a moment before standing up and saluting me. I motioned for him to sit down, but it was a bit too late. Before I realized it, all of the clones in the hall were standing and saluting. Never, and I mean _never_, in my life had I imagined that I'd gained _this _amount of respect. The only sound I heard in the room was my heavy breathing and Ahsoka's light breath. "A-at ease, men."

They all sat down as Rex moved towards me. "It's good to see you, General."

"Thanks, Rex. It's good to see you, too."

"You look like you fell into the sarlacc."

I chuckled. "I did."

He smiled and glanced down at Ahsoka. "Who's this?"

"Princess Ahsoka Tano of Shili. She saved me and is now my apprentice."

"Nice to meet you, Princess."

"Ahsoka, this is my right hand man, Rex. He's the best –" I stopped once I realized that Ahsoka had taken over his position. "You're a Captain now."

"I know. This little one is now a Commander."

"Well, you're the best _Captain._"

"Thank you, sir."

I smiled warmly at him before glancing down at my uneasy lover. My stomach began to ache and I knew that it was only a matter of time before it would start growling. "All right, you go eat. Ahsoka and I are going to get something and relax for a bit."

"Yes, sir."

He went back to his table and sat down as I led Ahsoka to the food station.


	9. Medbay Incident

**POV: Anakin Skywalker**

Ahsoka stared at the food in front of her. I should be calling it '_slop_.' I knew this was something she wasn't used to. She was used to being given elegant foods and such. This was _far _from that. "It's not the best, but we're low on funds."

She shook her head and composed herself. "This is my new life. I'm not a Princess anymore."

"You were born a Princess, so –"

"You were born a slave," she snapped. "Now look at you."

"I'm still a slave," I whispered.

"I freed you, Anakin."

"Everything I do is for _you._ I've never felt this way about anyone. I'm so against slavery, so it would take a _really _special person to make me lower myself to that."

I could see her desire and all of the love in her eyes and it made my heart beat faster. "Anakin, I love you. You are my equal. No. You are my _superior._ Never lower yourself to something you're greater than." Every time she said something like that, I found it very difficult to keep myself from picking her up and running back to the dorm. She pleased me more than she realized. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just love the way you think and you're only fifteen. I didn't think this way when I was your age."

She smiled. "I've learned a few things in my short life from my tutors. I can tell when you're excited, too. Your –"

"Okay, okay. I know you can tell. It's kind of obvious."

"Why don't you just do it already?"

"It's _illegal._ I shouldn't be with you because _that's_ illegal. I love you and I care about you. I don't _need _physical love to be happy."

She scooped the slop into a bowl and did the same for me, taking my own bowl of… Yeah. "I want physical love, too. I want to be yours in body and soul."

"Ahsoka, someday…" I showed her to my table in the corner of the large hall and we sat down. She sat beside me and my urges became worse as she gave me a very sad look. All I wanted was her happiness, but I didn't know what length I would go to in order to bring her that happiness. "At least you know I want to," I whispered.

"I know."

"It's really…" I leaned closer to her, setting my arms on the table in front of me. "It's really _emotional._ The first time I did it, there was a lot of emotional stress. I didn't enjoy it and all she did was scream or cry for the few minutes it lasted."

"Why was it so bad?"

"She thought she was ready. We blindly walked into it and emerged damaged. She told me it was good later, but it felt wrong. I felt like I'd spent a large portion of my credits on something I didn't even need. She wasn't happy with me and I wasn't happy with her. It took one time to realize that and I regret it."

She ate a spoonful of her mush. "Are you happy with me?"

"Yes," I said sincerely.

"What makes me different from her?"

"Your heart." She looked confused. "You're yourself. You don't pretend around me and I don't have to pretend with you."

"I have nothing to hide from you. You know where I come from and you know what I am. The only thing you _don't _know is how much I really love you."

She rested her hand on my arm and smiled at me. I smiled back. "And how much _do _you love me?"

"A lot," she whispered.

**Six months later.**

I fell off of my bed during the night. Actually, I was _pushed _off. "Hey," I muttered sleepily, rubbing my eyes.

I glanced up to see the moonlight shining through the window. "Sorry," she mumbled, scooting over to look over the side of the bed. I saw her montrals poke over the edge and I barely saw her face. "Are you okay?"

I pushed myself up. "Yeah, sweetheart. Are you still feeling sick?" She made an affirmative sound and rolled over to make room for me. I knew it was just a sickness. We still haven't done anything, so she couldn't get pregnant. I lay down beside her and she cuddled up against me. "You've been this way for a week. I think it's time for the superior rank to kick in. We're going down to the medbay to have you checked out."

"It's the middle of the night," she said, groaning.

"Droids don't sleep."

"They _do _need some downtime…"

"Do I need to drag you down there?"

"Try it." I got off of the bed and grabbed her wrists. She laughed and smiled. "Fine. I'll go." She stood up and pressed her bare body against me. She wanted to try sleeping that way and I didn't object to it. I thought that maybe it was another part of her trust factor with me. She still didn't realize that I'd never take advantage of her.

I kissed her slowly, rubbing her back as I did so. She smiled against my lips. "Love you," I whispered.

"Love you, too." She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a nightgown. She slipped it over her body and I kissed her again. She took my hand and we walked out into the hall. "Do you always walk around the temple without a shirt on?"

"I've done it in the past. No one ever says anything to me."

"Your back and arms –"

"Are healing," I interrupted. "Besides, you said the scars don't look as severe as they did before. The bruises are gone and whatever broken bones I had were healed by both Barriss and Luminara."

"It shouldn't have been that way…"

I shrugged. "If I hadn't gone through all of that pain, you and I may not be together right now. We both escaped a really bad situation." We arrived in the medbay and she hopped onto the medical bed. I went to find one of the droids that was probably sipping oil right now. "Hey," I called out after searching for a few minutes. I couldn't find a single droid in the entire area.

I heard a loud crash and immediately began to run back to Ahsoka. She screamed and then I heard a lightsaber. My heart almost stopped when I realized that a Force user had come in while we were defenseless. I ran back into the area and immediately Force-pushed the attacker. A loud hiss identified the attacker as Ventress. Ahsoka was on the floor, holding her stomach. She quickly stood up and ran into my arms. "Ani –"

I lifted her up and ran into another section. I closed the door and locked it. Luckily for us, it was a durasteel door. It would take a bit of time for Ventress to cut through it. I set Ahsoka on the floor and knelt in front of her, moving her hands away from her stomach.

I pressed my hands down on the open wound. "What happened?"

"The window," she whispered. "She came through the window and the glass –" She cringed in pain as I put more pressure on her.

"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to stop the bleeding." Her eyes shut tightly and she clenched her teeth. "Ahsoka, I need you to keep your hands like this. I need to figure out how to get help or keep you safe."

"Just get yourself out of here," she whispered painfully, her eyes barely opening to look at me. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"I will _not _leave you," I growled. My voice sounded deeper and darker, scaring me a bit. I jumped when a blood red saber was thrust into the door. It slowly began to circle counter clockwise, burning through.

I began to panic, knowing that we'd die if I just stayed put. I began to rummage through the equipment on the floor. There were plenty of spare parts from broken droids or damaged machines. I pulled a bunch of parts together and began to wire them. "What are you doing?"

"Hang on."

Small sparks flew out when I pressed the end of two wires together. I pulled a broken communicator into my hand and wired it. Static sounded and I knew it was working. I began to connect with Obi-Wan's frequency. "_Kenobi,_" he said sleepily, adding a yawn into it.

"Wake up," I growled. "Ahsoka and I are stuck in the medbay. Ventress is going to kill us."

I heard a thud and a grunt. "_I'm coming. Stay put._"

He disconnected the link and I tossed the makeshift com across the floor. "It's not like we _can _go anywhere."

"Ani," she whimpered behind me.

I spun around and she was leaning against the wall. I quickly put my hands on top of hers. "Stay with me, Ahsoka."

"I can't see you," she gasped.

I grabbed her hands and intertwined our fingers while keeping pressure on her stomach. "I'm right here. Please, don't black out."

The wild, scared look in her eyes was beginning to scare me. The red blade was about halfway through its circle before it pulled back out. I heard lightsabers clashing as well as Ventress' occasional hisses. She hated when Obi-Wan came to help me or vice versa.

"Anakin, open the door," Obi-Wan said breathlessly.

I used the Force to unlock the door. I held Ahsoka against me. I felt tears rolling down my face because I was so afraid to lose her. Her head tilted to the side and I gasped. "Ahsoka!" I screamed.

Everything that happened next was a blur. Luminara and Windu were rushed in, Ahsoka was taken from my arms, and Barriss and Obi-Wan were left with me. "Luminara is going to heal her," Obi-Wan whispered, his hands resting on my shoulders.

"Obi-Wan!" Windu shouted from the other room. Obi-Wan glanced at me one last time before leaving me alone with Barriss.

"Anakin, I'm here to help you if you need me."

"Is she going to die?" I whispered. I couldn't pry my eyes away from my bloodied hands.

"No. Luminara won't let her die. She may have lost a lot of blood, but it wasn't as much as she could have lost. If you hadn't gotten her away from Ventress, she might be dead." My chest tightened and I tried to span my senses out towards Ahsoka. My own emotions clouded everything and I felt like I was going to break. Barriss wrapped her arms around me and closed her eyes. "She will be fine, Anakin."

She held me for a few moments and then we both separated and stood up. I went back to the main section of the medbay and saw Ahsoka's glowing body. Luminara's power was working. I could see the wound healing on her stomach and my heart skipped a beat.

After an hour of waiting, Ahsoka's eyes slowly began to open. I took her hand and held it tightly. She turned her head and smiled at me. She knew she had to be careful though. Luminara, Obi-Wan, and Barriss were still in the room with us. "How are you feeling?" I asked quickly.

"Dizzy," she whispered. "But I can see now." I smiled and she tightened her grip on my fingers. She glanced up at Luminara. "I heard you. Thank you so much for everything, Master."

"You're welcome, my dear. Get some rest. Your Master already knows that you won't be training for a few days, so take it easy."

"Yes, Master."

"Come along, Barriss," Luminara whispered after rubbing my shoulder for a moment. That was her way of telling _me _to take it easy, too.

The two Mirialans made their way out of the medbay and Obi-Wan yawned behind me. "It's good to see that you're all right, Ahsoka. If either of you need me, don't hesitate to contact me." He gave me a pointed look since I'd interrupted his beauty sleep, but he knew how grateful I was to him.

"Good night, Master," we both whispered.

Ahsoka leapt into my chest as I hovered above the bed. Her arms wound tightly around my neck and mine wound around her tiny body. We both sighed happily. I closed my eyes and smiled. "You have no idea how worried I was…"

"I've got a slight idea," she teased. "I could feel you even though I was unconscious." I kissed her lek and smiled. "I love you, Anakin."

"I love you," I whispered as I continued to kiss her lek.


	10. A Great Amount of Trust

**POV: Ahsoka Tano**

I was in the medbay for a few more hours. I'd been able to get a bit of sleep, but Anakin was worried sick. He sat beside the medical bed, watching me. His mechanical hand rested on my stomach and it was still there when I woke up again. I opened my eyes to see him falling asleep in the chair. "If this is how you're going to act when I get injured, you're not going to have any children," I teased.

My voice made him jump. I grabbed his hand and held it tightly. "Sorry," he whispered.

"Take me back to the dorm and we can _both _get some rest."

He yawned and sat up straighter, rubbing his eyes with his other hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than you, Anakin." He shook his head and I slid my legs over the side of the bed. He stood up and pulled me into his arms. My legs dangled over his stronger arms as he began to carry me out of the medbay. I giggled and buried my face into his warm chest. When I looked up at his face, he was smiling widely. We entered our dorm and he set me down on his bed. I carefully scooted over to my side and he laid down beside me. "Just be careful," I whispered. "It still hurts a little."

He nodded. "Of course." As soon as his head hit the pillow, his comlink went off. He sighed and sat up, using the Force to pull the device into his hand from across the room. "Skywalker," he muttered.

"_Anakin, how's Ahsoka doing?_"

"She's okay. I've got her back in the dorm now."

"_That's good. Would you be able to come to the war room?_"

"Why?" I rubbed his arm as I stared up at him.

"_Someone wants to talk to you._"

He cocked an eyebrow and I sat up a bit. "Who?"

"_Anakin._"

"All right, all right," he sighed. "I'm on my way." He disconnected the device and tossed it over the side of the bed. "I'll be back in a minute, I hope." He kissed me quickly and slid off of the bed. I watched him pull a loose shirt over his head before he walked out, leaving me alone.

I curled up into a ball, sort of. My stomach hurt a little, so I couldn't curl up too much. I rubbed the empty space where he would lay down once he came back. I closed my eyes for a moment before having something flash into my mind. I saw an older woman with a worn out face and tired eyes. There was so much sadness about her and it was crushing me. "_Tell him I love him_," she whispered.

I heard wild noises that sounded like a group of savages. Silhouettes were against a bunch of average sized huts and I saw spears being raised into the air, followed by a battle cry. My eyes snapped open and I sat up. I glanced around the dorm and had a strange urge to glance beneath the bed. I slid off of the bed and knelt onto the floor. I lifted the blanket the draped over the side of the bed and saw a small box that had a sheet of dust covering it. I pulled it out and opened it because my curiosity got the best of me.

I found a few old toys and several other things. As far as I knew, Jedi weren't allowed to have possessions, so that must be his reason for keeping the box hidden. I moved a few things and found a steel frame. I pulled it out to see a dusted over picture. I blew the dust away from it and saw the woman I'd just seen in my head. I gasped and dropped the frame, shattering the glass above the picture. "Sorry about – Ahsoka? _What are you doing?_"

He sounded really upset and I stared up at him in surprise. He fell to his knees in front of me and tossed the box back under the bed. He grabbed my hand and I just realized that I'd been cut by the glass. I heard the box hit the wall and I cringed. "Anakin –"

"Stop," he whispered. "Just stay here. I'll go get some gauze."

He got up and I balled my hand into a fist, hoping to keep the blood flow under control until he came back. I looked at the frame to see it damaged. The picture had been damaged, too. He came back and told me to hold my hand out.

He knelt in front of me and began to gently, yet firmly, wrap my hand. "I-I'm sorry." I could see the anger in his eyes and I could feel the sadness in his body. I stood up with him and tried to make him look at me. He bent over to pick up the frame and frowned. He pulled the picture out and held it against his chest while he moved towards the trash compartment. He dropped the frame into it and stood with his back to me. I bit my lip, not knowing what else to do. "Who is she?" I whispered, slowly stepping closer to him.

He bowed his head and I could hear his breath catch. "My mother."

I put my hand on his back and slid it up to his shoulder as I moved around to see his face. "I'm sorry, Anakin."

"It's not your fault."

"What happened to her?"

He swallowed slowly before answering me. "She was _murdered._ She died in my arms."

I gaped at him as tears began to form in my eyes. He turned to face me and opened his own, crossing the room and lifting his flesh hand to stroke the side of my face. "Ani –" I shoved myself against him and he sighed, holding me tightly. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I did some questionable things because of her death, but I'm okay now."

"How long has it been?"

"Almost two years," he whispered. I pulled away from him and stared up at his face. His eyes held so much sadness. He walked over to his dresser and set the picture down, keeping his palm pressed against the center of it. "I keep telling myself that she's in a better place; that she's not suffering anymore…"

"How do you feel about that?" I felt like that was such a stupid question, but I could tell that he didn't talk about it very much.

He arched over his dresser and lowered his head again. His breath caught and he began to tremble. I ran to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He gripped my hand tightly, holding it against him, and began to sob. I pressed my face against his back and gently kissed the fabric. "I-I've never… been able to s-save the ones I love…" he whispered.

"You saved me, Ani. You're stronger now."

We stayed like this until he relaxed and calmed himself. We crawled back into his bed and I rubbed over his chest. "Who contacted you earlier?"

"Your father."

I gasped and he held my hand tighter. "What did he say?"

"He only made some pointless threats."

"Directed at whom?" I asked quickly.

"Me, but –"

I sat up quickly and regretted it, but I forced myself off of the bed and out into the hallway. I ran despite the pain in my stomach. I entered the war room to see Master Kenobi, gaping at me. "Bring my father up _right now._" He fumbled to reconnect the frequencies, but managed it.

Anakin came in as my father appeared. The elder man began to curse rapidly and Anakin pulled me against his chest. Obi-Wan watched in horror as Anakin began to return his own string of profanities. He slipped into three different languages until my father stopped. Anakin's arms were around me now and he was breathing heavily as he glared at the holographic image of my father. "_You are with child, I assume?_"

"Why would you think that?" I spat.

"_You left with _it_ and have not returned since. Your suitors have –_"

"There will be _no _wedding. I'm a Jedi now."

"_No! We _forbid _this! We told the Jedi that they could not take you from us and they promised to keep their word! Those lying _–"

"How long have you known?" I screamed.

"_Since you were conceived._"

Anakin moved me aside and I grabbed his wrist, staring up at his face. "So you lied to your _only _child in order to keep your power over your kingdom?"

"_We did what needed to be done._"

"That was _selfish!_ Can't you see that life here is better than life with _you?_"

"_Silence, slave!_" his voice boomed.

"Anakin, please, don't," I begged, whispering in basic.

"I am _not _a slave," he growled.

I was glad that he'd stopped there. "Good-bye, father," I whispered. "I'll send you a transmission after I _marry _Anakin and you'll see how much happier I am."

I shut off the projector and stared up at Anakin's shocked, yet angry face. I knew I'd said the wrong thing. I brought up the fact that I wanted to marry Anakin. _Right _in front of Master Kenobi. "Would anyone like to fill me in?"

Anakin cleared his throat and sighed. "Ahsoka and her father have some… _tension._"

"As do you and her father, I suppose."

"He _beat _me," he growled. "He made me feel _weak._"

"Anakin, I –"

"Do _not _say that you _understand._ You've _never _been kicked when you were down. You've _never _had your bones and will shatter simultaneously. You've _never _been treated like dirt." He sighed in frustration, balling his hands up into fists. He lifted one hand and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. "You've _never _lived in _slavery_," he whispered.

I watched the older man's sad face. "Master," I whispered, touching Anakin's shoulder. That was probably the _worst _thing to say to him right now.

He tensed up. "_Ahsoka._" His voice was barely audible. I watched him straighten up. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'll be in my dorm if you need me…" That was meant more for me, judging by the apologetic look he gave me.

He didn't shrug away from me like I expected him to. Instead, he reluctantly detached himself from me and made his way out of the room. "He's damaged beyond repair."

I glanced at Anakin's former Master. "I fear that his depression will lead to problems in the future."

"I'm trying to help him."

"I know. He's been happier lately, but it's still evident that he's hurting inside."

"His past will always haunt him," I whispered. There was nothing I could do to Anakin because all that had happened _had _happened.

"How much has he told you?"

"A little bit. He told me about his mother and we've talked about his life on Tatooine very sparsely."

"He's put a lot of trust in you if he's already told you all of that."

"I freed him. I never wanted to hurt him. I did so much for him because I wanted to gain his trust."

"You've worked hard to gain it. Just remember that trust can easily be broken. _His _trust is not easily gained."

I nodded. "Thank you, Master."

"It must be very difficult to call us your Masters."

"I barely call him my Master. On Shili, he was just Anakin to me."

"That's understandable. Just be _careful._ His reputation was gained through his wiling choice to _not _abide by rules. His heart comes before his head."

I smiled. "He's a wonderful man, nonetheless."

"That, he is. I told him that he'd make a great Master someday."

"If you'll excuse me," I whispered. "I should go check on him."

"By all means."

I bowed briefly and headed back to my quarters. The door opened to an empty room. I walked in and allowed the door to slide to a close behind me. "Anakin?" I walked in a little more and strong arms wrapped around my waist. Warm lips were pressed against my left lek. "There you are," I whispered, smiling. I put my hands on top of his and smiled. He rocked us gently as he kissed my jaw. "Are you okay?" I asked, closing my eyes.

"Mhm." His thumbs rubbed below my waistline. "Are you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now that we're both okay…"

I giggled as he began to lead us back towards his bed. He sat down and leaned backwards, holding me on top of him. My legs dangled over his and I felt his excitement beneath me.

"You said we'd wait until I was legal, right?"

"Yes," he whispered.

"Can I try something?"

"What's that?"

I sat up and put pressure on his lower half. "Ahsoka, you're going to have a health examination next week. I can't do –"

"That's _not _what I meant."

I stood up and turned around as he sat up, propping himself up on his elbows. "I'm a little confused," he whispered. I smirked. I stepped closer to him and lifted his shirt over his head. I knelt down in front of him and he cocked an eyebrow. "_Oh._ I see."

"Can I?"

"You're the Princess of Shili. How could I possibly deny you?" he teased.

I leaned up to kiss his bare stomach a few times before continuing onto _other _things.


	11. Training Session Gone Bad

**POV: Anakin Skywalker**

I chuckled as Ahsoka began to brush her teeth an hour later. I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her left lek. She leaned forward and spat into the sink, followed by rinsing out all of the toothpaste. Once she was finished, she leaned against my chest and smiled up at me. "You sure you've never done that before?"

"Positive," she whispered.

I kissed the back of her left montral. "Well, then I'd give you a twenty out of ten for that. You were… just _wow._" She giggled and I smiled when I saw her face in the mirror. "Princess Ahsoka has the body and _mouth _of a goddess," I whispered.

She pulled my arms tighter around her waist and I kissed her cheek. "I'm just surprised that we didn't get caught. You were _really _loud."

"Hey, it's not every day that a beautiful girl –"

"I know," she teased, rolling her eyes. "At least I'll be okay for the examination. There's nothing to prove that we're involved with each other."

"Is that how you plan to get around things until you're eighteen?"

She glanced up at me. "Will it work?"

I smirked. "We'll see." She lifted her hands to rub her eyes and I kissed her shoulder. "Time for bed, little one?"

"Okay, you know I hate being called that and I hope you realize that it's not even close to being time for bed according to the time right now."

"You're supposed to be resting because of your injury, my darling," I whispered, trailing kisses along her lek.

She closed her eyes and moaned a little. "I supposed I could do that," she said through her moans.

"I thought you'd see things my way."

She opened her eyes and took my hand, leading me back to my bed. She crawled across it and laid down. I plopped down beside her and she cuddled up against me, nuzzling her face into the crook of my neck. Her warm hand rested on my bare chest above my heart. She had a fascination with my heart all of a sudden. I liked it, but I was sort of intrigued by it as well. Of all things, why my heart? "Stop thinking and go to sleep," she whispered.

"How did you know I was thinking?"

"You get quiet and tense up."

I smirked. "Okay, okay. I'm done thinking." I kissed her forehead and watched her smile briefly. Her legs brushed up against mine and she sighed in content. After a short amount of time, she fell asleep.

I scooted away from her and pulled a shirt over my head. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. I glanced back at her and gaped at how _innocent _she looked. After the way she made me feel earlier, I knew that she wasn't _that _innocent. For being fifteen, she sure knew how to please a man…

I walked over to my desk and turned the HoloPad on. I searched through a few articles about the Togruti culture. I was curious if she'd been trained for this. I listened to a few verbal articles, watching Togruti women prepare for their _arranged _marriages. The women wore brightly colored dresses with beautiful headdresses.

I pulled my knees up to my chest as I actually watched a wedding ceremony. Everything said was in Togruti and I could barely understand it. The bride and groom snarled at each other with lust in their eyes. It was quite entertaining actually. I wondered if this is how Ahsoka would rather get married. After the _Vows of the Warrior _were completed, the woman's clothes were stripped by the man's teeth. "What the Force?" I whispered, cocking an eyebrow.

"That's for _older _couples." I jumped as she pushed herself up. I closed the article and she came over to me. I glanced at the time to see that a few hours had gone by _very _quickly. "If you have questions, you _can _ask me." I lowered my legs to the floor and she positioned herself between them. She put her hands on either side of my face and began to kiss me slowly.

"I just got curious," I whispered when her face was a few inches away from mine.

"We can have a human wedding," she whispered.

"Why?"

"Because I want to be part of _your _culture."

She brushed my hair back and traced over the scar on the right side of my face. It didn't hurt whatsoever, but I didn't like being touched there. "I meant to ask you a while ago, but how did you get this?"

"Lightsaber duel gone bad."

"I see," she whispered. Her face came closer and her lips traced over the scar.

**One week later.**

We stepped out of the examination room. "Told you we'd be fine."

I rolled my eyes. "At least we can train now. Examinations are every few months from this point on. The droid said your stomach should be all right."

"Finally, some Jedi training."

I chuckled. She'd crafted her lightsaber a few days ago, so now we'd have to fine tune her instinctual combat abilities. "Do you want to go now?"

"Really?"

I shrugged. "We won't use a _real _lightsaber until I see what you can do."

"What are we going to use? Sticks?"

I laughed. "Training sabers, beautiful."

She grabbed my hand and her excitement coursed through me. I smiled and led her to the training room. Master Unduli and Barriss were locked in hand to hand combat. When Barriss saw me, she got cocky. She tried to impress me with some _skilled _motions, but ended up on her back on the training mat. "Barriss, you _must _focus."

Luminara helped her up and she glanced at the floor. "Yes, Master."

The older Mirialan smiled at me. "Hello, you two. I see you're feeling better, little one."

"Much. My master took good care of me." She nudged me and smiled as jealous emotions burst out of Barriss.

I shifted uncomfortably as the two girls gave each other looks. Luminara must have realized Barriss' attachment to me because she broke the silence. "It appears as though Barriss requires a meditation session. Have fun, you two."

Ahsoka and I nodded as Luminara dragged Barriss from the room. I just realized that Ahsoka's posture had changed. It looked as though she was taking up a defensive position in front of me. "Jealous, are we?"

She straightened up. "Just…" she fidgeted nervously.

"_Protective._"

She nodded. "It's a Togruti instinct. I know you aren't weak, but, to me, being human makes you _fragile._ Since I'm a Togruta and you're my mate, I need to protect you."

I smiled, cocking an eyebrow. "I'm your _mate?_"

Her eyes widened and she backpedaled. "I didn't mean to –"

I stepped forward and put my hand on her neck, rubbing her jaw with my thumb. "It doesn't bother me."

"Not at all?"

"Not even in the slightest," I whispered.

"When I said _mate_, it just slipped out. I love you and I'm committed to you, but I don't want you to feel like you're bound to me."

I rolled my eyes. "So am I going to become _Anakin Tano?_"

She burst into laughter and hugged me tightly. "If we marry your way, I can become _Ahsoka Skywalker._"

"Either way works for me."

"Mrs. Anakin Skywalker," she whispered, smiling.

"Mr. Ahsoka Tano," I said, teasing her. She laughed and pulled back to hold my hands.

"I can't imagine you becoming Anakin _Tano._"

I smirked. "Well, I _do _like the way Ahsoka Skywalker sounds."

She smiled and held my hands tighter. "Then Ahsoka Skywalker it is."

"Well, now that our marriage arrangement is settled, shall we train?"

She bounced up and down a bit, nodding crazily. "I didn't think you'd be _this _excited."

"Anything new with you is exciting."

I gently tugged her, taking her towards the training sabers. "Will these hurt?"

"A little," I whispered, releasing her hands. "It's not _as _bad as being hit by a real lightsaber though." I pulled a decent sized saber from the rack and handed it to her. She turned it on and smiled at me. I grabbed my own and activated it was I walked towards the training mat. She followed me and we stopped in the center. She stood across from me.

She was excited and nervous at the same time. "I'll swing and you just follow your instincts."

"Anakin –"

"I _know _you can do this," I whispered, giving her a reassuring smile. She swallowed and nodded. I watched her flip the saber backwards, holding it in the reverse position. "How are you going to fight _that _way?"

"You said you wanted me to follow _my _instincts, Master Jedi." I smirked. I held the handle between my hands and swung forward. Her arm spun at an amazing angle and she blocked my blow. I swung again and _almost _hit her. After being blocked a few more times, I asked her if she wanted to move at a faster pace. She seemed to be all right with that. My swings came down on her quicker and she was having a hard time keeping up with me. She backed up, dropped down, and spun in an attempt to kick my legs out. I hopped over her legs and smacked her side with the training saber – _unintentionally._ "Ow!" she cried out, falling forward a bit.

I immediately dropped my saber and knelt down, grabbing her. "Ahsoka, I'm sorry." She had her hands above the sore area and she allowed my hands to rest above hers. I knew she wasn't pulling something on me because she'd let go of her own saber. "I didn't mean to do that."

"I know," she gasped. She reached forward and deactivated the saber, dropping it once again. She shifted her position and wrapped her arms around me, not pressing her side against any part of my body. "I didn't think it would hurt _that _much."

"Mechanical hand," I whispered sadly, frowning. She looked up at me and put her hands on my neck. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, Ani."

I heard a door open and we both separated from each other quickly. "Everything all right?"

I sighed as Obi-Wan's voice echoed in the large room. "I wanted to see your first training session with a Padawan, Anakin. What happened?"

"She was _too _good. I kind of… hurt her – accidentally, of course."

He came closer and glanced at her side that was beginning to bruise. "Do you need to go to the medbay?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm fine, Master. Thank you though." I gave her an apologetic look. She smiled weakly at me. "I'm all right, okay?" I nodded slowly, not entirely believing her. "Come on," she laughed, scooting over to nudge my ribs playfully. We both stood and she bent over to pick up the saber.

I decided that I should probably attempt to save this training session by teaching her something new in front of Obi-Wan. I flicked my fingers slightly and moved the training saber slightly out of her reach. "Lift it with the Force, Ahsoka."

She paused and stared at me in surprise. I demonstrated for her and she felt afraid. "You haven't taught me that yet," she whispered.

"Follow your instincts."

Obi-Wan watched her curiously. She closed her eyes and moved her hand toward the training saber. I watched it spin and rattle a bit as her eyes shut tighter. Slowly, it lifted from the floor. It didn't make it that far though, only a few inches above the mat. I smiled until she gasped, losing her concentration. "I can't do it," she whispered, her voice shaking. Her eyes met mine and she looked afraid.

If Obi-Wan weren't here, I would have pulled her into my arms and whispered loving words of encouragement to her. "You _can _do it, Ahsoka."

She stared at me with trembling lips. She wiped her eyes as the tears began to fall. "Can I go back to the dorm?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"Not until you lift the saber."

"Master, I –"

"Lift it."

"I can't!" she screamed at me. "I don't know _how _to!"

I was taken aback by her outburst. "You need to _focus_, Ahsoka. You _can _do this."

"I was focusing!"

"Do _not_ get _snippy _with me!"

She growled at me and I crossed my arms over my chest. Obi-Wan tensed up beside me, not liking where this was going. "May I suggest you _both _take a meditation session together?"

"Can you do that?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"As long as you don't talk to me."

"Fine by me," I said harshly. I lied.

She walked away and bent down, picking up the saber and walking towards the rack. "Go easy on her. She hasn't had much training since her arrival."

I sighed. He knew that I knew this. It hurt me to yell at her and it hurt to have her yell _back._ "I'll talk to her." He nodded and turned to leave. I walked towards Ahsoka as the rack of sabers fell towards her. I ran over to her and helped her pile them. She was knelt down, frantically moving the sabers. She gave up and fell back into a sitting position, pulling her knees up to her chest. I watched her bury her face in her arms. I bit my lips and reached out, taking her hand. "Hey," I whispered, scooting closer to her. She barely lifted her head, displaying trails of tears. "Don't cry."

"I'm failing you as a Jedi."

"_No._ You _aren't._ I have complete faith in you and we'll work on this _together._" Her lips began to tremble and she lowered her head again. "Come here." She hesitated, but crawled over to me, positioning herself between my legs. She pressed her body up against mine and shook as she sniffled crazily. I stroked her rear lek gently. "You're beautiful and wonderful. I pushed you beyond your limits and I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I didn't want to make you cry, Ahsoka."

Her left hand slid up my chest and neck until it became tangled with my hair. "I-I…"

"Shh," I whispered. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed gently. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I hope you know that I love you _very _much."

She nodded. "I'm s-sorry, too."

"Do you want to go back to the dorm?"

"No. Teach me how to meditate. I want to be able to lift the saber like you wanted me to."

"Go to the dorm. Close everything and turn everything off. We'll need complete silence."

She nodded and wiped her eyes. I kissed her cheek and helped her up. We stood in each other's arms for a while. She smiled up at me and I slowly leaned down to kiss her. Once her eyes closed and she tilted her lips towards mine, I knew it was okay. I began to kiss her warm lips and smiled when she returned my kisses. "I love you," she whispered.

I traced the marking on her left cheek with my thumb. "And I love _you._"

She smiled. "I'll be in the dorm, Master Jedi."

I nodded and kissed her once more. "I'll be there momentarily." She began to leave the training room. I lifted the sabers into the rack and straightened them up. My body began to act up and I tried to force myself to relax. After regaining my self control, I was able to think about Ahsoka without _wanting _her. I straightened up and walked out of the training room.


	12. Nightmares and Love

**POV: Anakin Skywalker**

**Three months later.**

"_Anakin… Anakin, help me…_" For the _tenth _time this week, I watched Ahsoka scream for me while writhing in agony in my head.

I opened my eyes and turned my head to glance at her. I sat up and tried to get off of the bed without waking her up, which was _always _unsuccessful. "Bad dream?" she whispered, lifting her head to look over her shoulder.

I laid beside her again and draped my right arm over her. She held my hand tightly as I kissed her bare shoulder. "Yes."

"Is it the same one?"

"Yes."

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Ani. I wish I understood what it meant…"

"Me, too, beautiful. Me, too…"

"Try to go back to sleep, Anakin."

Her grip on my hand tightened in a comforting manner. I kissed her shoulder again. "Ahsoka?"

"Yes?"

"You know how we talked about taking precautions before getting too… _involved?_"

She rolled over to stare at me. "Yes. Why?"

"What if we tried it and this is a result of that?"

Her eyes hardened. "I will _not _die after we make love for the first time."

"What _if _you do?"

I knew I was being paranoid, but she was my _life._ "I'm not worrying about it. Why are you?"

"Because these _dreams _feel like _reality._ I can't lose you…"

"I'm perfectly healthy," she whispered. "You won't lose me, sweetheart." I rolled on top of her and hovered above her naked body. The blanket was the only barrier between us. I kissed her passionately, rubbing my chest against hers. "Anakin," she whispered, pushing me gently.

I stopped when I realized that my body took over my mind. I moved away from her and put my hand down on my lower half while attempting to regain control of myself. She sat up, holding the blanket around her.

"I'm sorry, Ahsoka."

"It's no big deal. You know I want to, but we need pills. We need…"

I glanced over at the nightstand briefly. "I know," I muttered.

She leaned towards me and hugged me. "Stop worrying, okay?" I kissed her cheek and closed my eyes as I leaned against her for support. Her fingers ran through my hair and her lips pressed up against my hair every now and then. "I know you'll take good care of me, Anakin. I didn't fall in love with you to defy my parents. I fell in love with you because you were mine. As my slave, you were always with me and I got to know you a little better. As my lover, I've gotten to see how much of a sweetheart you truly are." She took me back to the pillows and kissed my neck slowly. She sent chills of excitement through me and I had a hard time keeping myself under control. I moaned as she gently bit my neck. "Now, let me ask _you _something."

"Anything," I whispered.

"May I be the _slave _tonight?"

I opened my eyes and stared into hers. "Ahsoka –"

"I refuse to wait because of some dream. Please, Anakin, _take me._"

"I thought you wanted to be safe?"

"I don't care anymore. I just want you to make love to me. I want us to be connected. I want _you._"

Her teeth slid along my skin as she crawled onto me. I wrapped my arms around her body and moaned. She tugged on my pants and I gasped. "Wait."

"What?" I held her against me as I sat up. She watched as I reached into the drawer of the nightstand. I bought a few _assets _the other day. Her eye markings rose. "Was this planned?"

"Not by any means. I just wanted to be safe and prepared…"

She lifted my shirt over my head and kissed me. I held the sides of her face as I lifted my lower half, allowing her to remove my pants.

Within moments, we were safely and passionately making love for the first time.

**The next morning.**

I laid there, watching her sleep with a smile spread across her face. Her warm body was pressed up against mine. She moaned as she began to stir.

"Good morning," she whispered.

I rubbed her arm and smiled. "Good morning." She threw herself on top of me and kissed me slowly. "How are you feeling?" I whispered. I made her cry a lot last night, so I was concerned.

"Kind of sore and tired, but I feel wonderful."

"Are you sure?"

She smiled wider. "Yes, Ani."

She pressed her lips against mine for several passionate kisses. "Anakin, are you in there?" A knock hit the door and we separated quickly. She stared at me with widened eyes. I nodded towards the refresher and she quickly, but quietly, got off of the bed and entered. She started the shower and I quickly pulled my pants on. As I passed Ahsoka's bed, I ruffled the sheets and blankets a bit, making it look as though she'd slept in it. "Anakin?" I ran a hand through my hair as the door slid open. "Just waking up?"

"She did," I shrugged, yawning. "I've been up."

"Once she's done in the shower, the Council would like to see you both."

He sounded upset and I stepped out, allowing the door to slide to a close behind me. "What's going on?"

"Anakin –"

"_No. _Tell me now."

He sighed. "We received another transmission from Shili last night. The father wants her back. If he doesn't have her in the next three days, he'll declare war on us."

"Then be ready for a war," I whispered. "I'm not taking her back."

"Think about –"

"I _did _and I made up my mind. _End of discussion._"

I turned around and went back into the dorm as Ahsoka came out of the refresher with a towel around her tiny body. "You look upset," she whispered, coming closer to me. "What did he say?" She rested her hands on my chest for a few moments before quickly dressing herself. I sat down on her bed and she sat in my lap. "Talk to me."

"I'm not your slave anymore," I snapped.

She ran her fingers through my hair slowly. "Anakin, this is what I was talking about. You're _upset._ You weren't like this _before _he came."

I stared into her eyes and frowned. She kissed me briefly and I sighed. "Oh, all right. It's your father again."

I fell backwards onto the bed, pulling her down with me. She rested her hand on my chest and rubbed my sides as she stared up at me. "What does he want?" she whispered.

"You to go back to Shili."

"Are you okay?"

"No."

She sighed. "Anakin, why would I _dare _go back? I have all the reason in the galaxy to stay right where I am."

I closed my eyes when she kissed my chest. "I love _you._"

"I love you," I whispered. Several moments of silence led to her being flipped onto her back and another _asset _being pulled from the drawer of the nightstand.

**One hour later.**

We stepped out of the shower, dried off, and dressed ourselves in our Jedi garments. I sat down on my own bed and smiled up at her as she finished pulling her tube top down into position.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked, chuckling a bit as she turned to face me.

"I don't know how I got so lucky."

She came closer and I took her hands in mine. "We crawled into bed and –"

I chuckled and kissed her hand. "I meant lucky to meet you." She giggled and our hands swung from side to side slowly. "Beautiful."

"Gorgeous."

"Wild."

"Crazy," she whispered, laughing.

"You do realize that my list could go on endlessly, correct?"

She leaned closer to me. As we were about to kiss, a loud knock hit the door and I sighed. "Come out _now._"

She jumped as Windu's voice boomed in the hallway. I pulled her closer to kiss her passionately. "Don't be afraid of him." She nodded and I stood. We walked into the hall and were met with his hateful glare. He hated me in general, so it didn't bother me all that much.

We led him to the Council chamber and stood in the middle of the large room. Windu took his seat and stared at me angrily. "Are you enjoying your _defiance?_"

I shrugged, smirking. Ahsoka stared up at me and frowned. Yoda decided to take this moment and speak. "Young Skywalker, a serious matter, this is. Take this into consideration, you must."

"I have."

"Spoken with your Padawan, you have?"

**POV: Ahsoka Tano**

My eyes wouldn't leave his form. He looked down at me. "He has," I whispered. I stepped forward, surpassing the limits that came with my rank. "Please, I don't want to begin a war, but I don't want to go back. My life here has been wonderful since my arrival."

"Your thoughts do not outweigh ours, young one."

I heard Anakin growl behind me. "I never said they did. You've mentioned that I'm nearly equal in strength as my Master. What if –"

"We're engaged in war already. We cannot walk into _another._"

"Masters –"

Anakin grabbed my shoulder and I was jerked backwards. It hurt a bit more than it should have because he grabbed me with his _mechanical _hand. "_I _brought her here. _I _took her in. She's _my _apprentice. If she leaves, _I leave._"

They stared at him in surprise, as did I. Master Kenobi looked disappointed in him and my heart broke. I freed him so he could come back to this life, not leave it _again._ Master Windu stood up abruptly. "Is this _attachment?_"

"This is the bond between a Master and student."

"You're _no _Master."

"I'm _her _Master!" he shouted. "You just want to make my life miserable. That's _all _you've done since I came to the temple over ten years ago!"

"Is that what you honestly believe, you arrogant _child?_"

I grabbed his wrist as he was about to spring. I had a great amount of strength since he attempted to break out of my grip. I could feel how tense and upset he was. "This conversation is _over,_" he whispered through his teeth. He spun and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, quickly leading me out of the large hall.

I stopped him as more distance grew between us and the Council. His hands were shaking violently. "Please, relax. I don't like it when you're upset." He stared at me with sad eyes. I gently gripped his hands, slowly leading him to the dorm. I was walking backwards so I could keep my eyes on him. The door opened behind me. Once we were both in, he closed his eyes. I felt his anger flaring. "Ani, please, look at me."

"I think I need to go to the training room," he whispered. He tried to pull away from me and I slammed his back into the door.

He stared at me like I'd gone crazy. "Talk to me. If you really love me, you'll let _me _be the one to help you calm down."

Silence ensued and he slid down the door, pulling me down with him. "I don't understand," he growled. "They gave you to me and now they're trying to take you away."

My stomach hurt and the amazing feeling from our love making was beginning to wear off because of his mood. I bit my lip and chewed on it for a moment. "Maybe this is good for us. I don't want to begin a war…"

He gaped at me, his eyes widened. I could practically hear his heart shatter. "I made love to you twice," he ground out. "I showed you how much I love you. If you're willing to leave me after that, then what was the point?"

"I love you," I whispered. I tried to kiss him, but he pushed me away.

"No. You _don't._ Ahsoka, how could you possibly say that?"

I could see the tears forming in his eyes. "I'm thinking about what's best for _you. _I don't want to leave you, Ani. I honestly don't."

His body trembled as the tears began to slide down his cheeks. "You leaving is _not _good for me."

I leaned forward and he pulled me closer, holding me tightly. I'm not sure how long we stayed like this, but it was for quite some time. I looked up at him after his soft snores began to sound. I smiled weakly, loving his peacefulness. I loved to look at him when he slept. I stared at him until I decided that I should probably get him into bed. "Sweetheart," I whispered, nudging him gently. "Get up and into bed. Come on, Ani."

He groaned and his eyes barely opened, but he nodded. I helped him up and led him to his bed. He crawled across it and I pulled the blanket over him once he crashed down onto his side, facing me. He threw his hand out towards me. "Don't leave," he pleaded.

I grabbed his hand and kissed it. "I won't leave you. I promise." I moved the blanket aside and got into bed with him. I pressed myself against him and our arms draped over each other's bodies. He kissed me softly and I smiled at my sleepy lover. His lips moved against mine at a slow and passionate pace. I rubbed his back and he smiled. I giggled and hugged him. "I _do _love you, Ani."

"I love you," he whispered, tightening his hold on me.


End file.
